I must first explain to you a little about the education system in New York. New York is a Regents system. Meaning that from grade 9-12 Albany, the state capital, initiated the testing and exam system for the major subjects i.e. English, Math, Social Studies and Science, along with some language subjects. The subject content along with all timed, exams were issued by the State and was the same for all state supported schools. With this in mind it was mandatory for all students to take these subjects in those mentioned grades to 1- graduated from High School and 2- qualify for an accredited college. If I can recall a student needed 18 credits to graduate which meant 2 credits were needed in an elective subject but in planning your curriculum, one tries to save those 2 credits for the senior year .............better known as the relaxing year. There were also alternatives that one could look at. If for example one did not necessarily plan to go to college you could select to take English and Math for four years and Social Studies and a Science for 3 years each giving you 4 elective points needed to graduate. If you planned to go to a trade school after high school, you would take English and Math for 4 years, Social Studies for 3 years and 2 years for Science leaving 6 credits for electives. OOOOHHHHHH I'm getting a headache. At any rate you had to have your first year (freshman year) of high school planned before the summer so that the first days of high school were spent getting in those classes you wanted. I decided to go for broke my first year. English, Algebra, Social Studies and Biology and since there was this hot Spanish teach I gave it a whirl. As, we very early on in that class learned NO PROBLEMO......I could say, I breezed my freshman year. Carried a B average and even found time for Junior Varsity Baseball and Basketball. Now, as far as I was concerned, If I could understand all that.................I was ready for college.
Keeping all that in mind, it was no wonder my Sophomore year was a little more difficult. All, because.........I still didn't know what I was going to be. At the end of the second year I finished with a B minus or perhaps it was a strong C plus, but my social popularity was certainly a strong B plus.
The start of my Junior year (3rd year) was kind of cool. Started to drive over the summer and had my own wheels. A 1936 Chevrolet coupe with a rumble seat. Great paint job, Orange body with brown fenders. OMG whuz I ever cool. Paid $35 for the car which left some cash for some new threads. Chino pants with the cuff about an inch above my white bucks, chartreuse socks, striped long sleeve shirt rolled up and a crew cut. Classes this year would make any scholar envious, Trigonometry, English, Chemistry and foreign History. Lucky I had room for two electives, cooking and sewing. Double lettered this year in baseball and basketball. Played baritone sax in the dance band. WHOOOWWWIIIEEE!!!
Double dating in this car was an adventure. Use to go the the drive in. Just outside the drive in the other couple would get folded up in the rumble seat, we would drive in and as soon as we found THAT spot, the rumble seat would open up. The money saved on the entrance fee was for the tube steaks and drinks.
This was the year that Chemistry only lasted 6 months for me. Mr McDonald called my mom to school just to tell her that all my experiments WERE AWFUL and his suggestion to have me take another subject..............like wood shop.....................would be more productive for my future. Oh Ya, lot he knew!!!
My Senior year was, by far, the best. Now, that I knew I was not going to go to Princeton, I could relax a little and concentrate on more important things. Getting at least 4 points to graduate. Well, I certainly accomplished that in style. Math class was adding and subtracting, English was cool, shop, sewing II and it was a flip between ironing and art so I decided to take 3 months of each. Double lettered again and this year played the clarinet in the dance band.
Senior picnics at Jones beach, parties galore, now..........this is school...................
Only thing I really regret at this time was not taking more pictures. I'm going to include just a few of what I found with descriptions or at least what I remember.
This first picture is of Chrissie Schner and a friend. I should actually know her name but cannot recall it.
Holloween Party at my house in 1954
Yup!! it was 1954
Our School marching band was kinda small, so we had to spell out words, one letter at a time. Here we are forming the letter "O". The last letter in the word ""STILLETO""
One truth to this year. I WISH I COULD HAVE STUDIED MORE!!!! Socially it was a ten. Interlectually it was a 78............percent. OH, what the hell ...........3 points to spare. One very useless thing I learned that year.....................how to correctly dawn a sock using the weave method...............but I aced it out with an "A". Never did use it, if I had a hole in my sock, just went a bought another pair stocked up on them since at that time it was 3 pair for $.39. Anyone looking for size 6 argyle socks .........never worn??????? The other class I excelled at that Senior year (another Big "A") was cooking. Thanks Mom, those Anisette cookies were the hit of the class.
These years will never leave my memory. Now at 73 years old, I still start talking about the ""OLD DAYS"" and the ""OLD FRIENDS"" whenever I can.
Thanks to all those ""OLD FRIENDS"" that are still around. Those were great years.
