In 5th grade, you wanted to be in either Mr. Spracale's or Mr. Birch's class. I don't even remember who the other 5th grade teachers were. Everyone liked Mr. Birch and Mr. Howard, the student teacher wasn't bad. I remember him throwing chalk at the class when he got frustrated. Bill has identified everyone up to Milton Zuroff. I think I can add a few more names. After Milton is Gail Vesper, Dean Trella, Patricia Watts, Scott Lamm, Blankout. Next row: Steve Jones, Blankout, Jo Lynn Crumbaker, Tom Butler, Kelly Moeur, Randy Saylor. Bottom Row: Dick Butterbaugh, Marc Jung, Brent Mullen, Bill Richardson, and Scott (?).
Kelly,
I remember being disappointed I didn't get into either of the classes you mentioned in 5th grade, but I had Mrs. Windes, and she turned out to be my all time favorite teacher.
Mr. Birch could not deal with me that year. I led the class in the number of swats in the front of the class (6). He was swinging with both hands and I was laughing at him. Ah, he did not get the message about discipline with me. Then there was the numerous writing assignments: I will not . . . . . (fill in the blank) several hundred times and the filling of the cigar box with spit wads and then having to unwrap them!!
However, I still carry the pencil mark of Cathy Woodward stabbing me with a pencil in the back of the arm. I am sure I deserved it (as supported by every person who knows me).
I think I won the student/teacher contests that year.
Bill, I guess I did luck out. My experience with Mrs. Windes even helped me get a teaching job last year. In the interview, they asked about my favorite teacher in school. I told about how we sang songs to learn Spanish, made salt dough maps of the U.S., and laughed a lot in her class. She was a wonderful person.
Elson, I've been a teacher for a lot of years, and I always thought that when we were kids students always behaved in class. I guess I was remembering things through rose colored glasses. Thanks for setting me straight!
In today's world, I probably would have been medicated for ADD. I was a teacher's terror and spent most of my grade school life isolated in the back of the room. Female teachers were smart enough to gain the upper hand but male teachers struggled with me. I had Mr. Bowles in 6th grade and I fared only slightly better. If you look at the picture of Mrs. Stanke's 3rd grade class, I was sitting on the end of the row surrounded by girls. That was no accident.
Challenging authority: must be a genetic defect. I still engage in it today at the professional and university level.
I'm still hoping someone will post a picture of Mr. Kick's 4th grade class at Broadmor. Judy Bender was in the class. So was this big gangly kid with lots of freckles who taught me to draw Woody Woodpecker, Phil Wyckoff
Larry,
Your last entry mentioning Phil Wyckoff sent me scurrying following a new avenue to finding our 4th grade class picture. Maybe Phil is the key to finding it!! When we were in kindergarten, 1st grade, Phil and I were neighbors on Vista del Cerro. David Fagan lived there too, as well as Marsha Sowell, and Caryl Chipman. Bill Richardson-did you live there too? My mom says you lived across the street from us at one point in time. Phil's mom and mine were best friends and visited back and forth everyday. So did Phil and I. Gary, his older brother, was friends with my older sisters. I remember he had a guitar-that was impressive. The Wyckoffs moved to Prescott sometime during elementary school. Mr. Wyckoff was killed in an accident in Mayer when we were still very young. Mrs. Wyckoff remarried Cal Cordes of Cordes Junction fame. Fast forward to 1969- I was partying at Slide Rock with some college friends and ran into Gary and his new wife, they were expecting a baby very soon. When their daughter was born, I took gifts to them in the little rock cottage they lived in on NAU's campus (they are no longer there). That daughter and I ran into each otheryears later in Prescott Valley, where we both taught at the same school. She loved her Uncle Phil!! According to her, he was/ is an artist in Scottsdale. Gary was, maybe still is, the Band Director at Paradise Valley High School. Anyway, I have sleuthed and found her phone number. If I can get hold of her, then maybe I can find Phil, maybe he will have the picture. Wow!! Now that I've actually typed that, I see that possibility sounds kinda far fetched. I think I was just so excited to see someone remembered Phil. He is a great memory of mine growing up!! I wish I was near a working scanner I'd post a cute picture of us two playing when we're probably 4.
Elson, Your comment about the teacher surrounding you with girls made me laugh. That has always been a tactic of mine, too, to surround the “challenging” students with the well behaved students. Unfortunately, by the time I got out of the classroom, there were never enough well behaved students to go around!
What do you do for a living now?
Judy, was Phil Wyckoff related to Cathy Wyckoff, who was also at our school?
It is good to hear you on the message board. No, Phillip Wycoff was not related to Kathy Wycoff. Incidently, Kathy Wycoff died at the age of 23 from ovarian cancer. Her sister lived next to my parents, on broadway Lane, for a few years. Her mom sent me a notice of Kathy's death with a very nice picture of Kathy on the beach in San Diego. Kathy was certainly a live wire. I still remember the slumber party at her house. Remember Denise Hatch?
Yeah, I thought I'd ease up on eating bon bons for awhile and try the message board. Less calories.
That's really sad to hear about Kathy. She was a whole lot of fun. I remember her being incredibly boy crazy. She especially liked Mons, as I recall. (He was a favorite of a lot of the girls in 6th grade.)
I don't remember Denise Hatch. You'd think I would, being as we have the same name!
You're right about Mons being popular in 6th grade. He was nice to everybody, but that's probably because of his upbringing. He was also the quarterback for the Broadmor football team, and this had to help him stand out.
I was new that year and my impression of most of the boys was that they made fun of girls. Mons didn't do that.
Larry,
Your last entry mentioning Phil Wyckoff sent me scurrying following a new avenue to finding our 4th grade class picture. Maybe Phil is the key to finding it!! When we were in kindergarten, 1st grade, Phil and I were neighbors on Vista del Cerro. David Fagan lived there too, as well as Marsha Sowell, and Caryl Chipman. Bill Richardson-did you live there too? My mom says you lived across the street from us at one point in time. Phil's mom and mine were best friends and visited back and forth everyday. So did Phil and I. Gary, his older brother, was friends with my older sisters. I remember he had a guitar-that was impressive. The Wyckoffs moved to Prescott sometime during elementary school. Mr. Wyckoff was killed in an accident in Mayer when we were still very young. Mrs. Wyckoff remarried Cal Cordes of Cordes Junction fame. Fast forward to 1969- I was partying at Slide Rock with some college friends and ran into Gary and his new wife, they were expecting a baby very soon. When their daughter was born, I took gifts to them in the little rock cottage they lived in on NAU's campus (they are no longer there). That daughter and I ran into each otheryears later in Prescott Valley, where we both taught at the same school. She loved her Uncle Phil!! According to her, he was/ is an artist in Scottsdale. Gary was, maybe still is, the Band Director at Paradise Valley High School. Anyway, I have sleuthed and found her phone number. If I can get hold of her, then maybe I can find Phil, maybe he will have the picture. Wow!! Now that I've actually typed that, I see that possibility sounds kinda far fetched. I think I was just so excited to see someone remembered Phil. He is a great memory of mine growing up!! I wish I was near a working scanner I'd post a cute picture of us two playing when we're probably 4.
Judy,
We lived on Hudson off of Apache and then Sierra Vista off of Broadway. I remember that your mom and my mom knew each other?
I think Denise Hatch came onto the scene in Junior High. She had red hair and was cute. Perhaps I remember her because she liked Stewart Poole, whom I liked, too.
Do you remember attending the ASU Student Union Birthday Celebration, when we were in 8th grade? They had a carnival theme, with booths set up on the grassy area across from the Student Union. (It is where the library is now). You and I were hanging out with John Zuworski and Stewart Poole. There was a Wedding Booth, so we al decided to 'get married.' I was disappointed, but went through with the ceremony with John, when I would rather have been with Stewart. You and Stewart got 'married' as did John and I. We had little gold plastic rings and marriage certificates. Funny, I have no idea of what happpend to those guys? I think Stewart Poole appeared at Tempe High, not sure of what year, but he did not interact with anyone and never acted as if he even knew me. I remember spotting him and walking towards him to say hello, but he had a blank look on his face, so I walked away.
Gail, you have an amazing memory. I have a vague memory of getting married to Stewart, but I had forgotten his name. I just looked him up in my 7th grade 'El Tigre' yearbook, and recognized his face. Denise Hatch was on that same page, and I now remember her somewhat, too.
I remember my first kiss was with a blonde, so I'm guessing it was Stewart, probably right after we were married. The strongest memory I have of the experience is trying to figure out if I was supposed to breathe during the kiss!
I'm sorry if I got him instead of you. I hope you forgive me!
Denise,
Of course you are forgiven. Actually I do not think I was unhappy with you at all, I was disappointed that Stewart did not choose me. Stupid boys.
I did not know that was your first kiss. What an important event. I, too, struggled with that breathing while kissing issue. Next time I get an oppportunity to kiss someone I will be thinking of you and breathing.
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