First Day of School

1946-47  I'm front row, third from right

The day after Labor Day was one of the best days of the year for me when I was growing up.  It was the first day of school.
Early in the morning, I would pop out of bed, put on a new dress that Mom had made--probably out of a flour sack.  After a quick breakfast, I grabbed my lunch pail and with my Dad by my side that first year, headed down the mountain to catch the bus to school--actually Willard Rhodes car (he lived on the end of the line).  It was so exciting.  All of the students (between 8 and 15 each year) gathered outside to raise the flag, say the Pledge of Allegiance then  went inside and found our seats. 


We excitedly checked our desks and carefully examined our very own school supplies, bought by the school--a brand new yellow pencil and a tablet of lined paper.  We would share crayons, rulers and other supplies.  I loved to learn and that country school instilled in me the dreams and ideas that would shape my life.