Jumpin’, Jacks and a flash of memories

Bethel Elementary Fourth grade class picture-1972-73: first row seated, from left are: Judy Robinson, Greg Grimes, Isaac Landsaw, Doug Wells, Billy Wheaton, Steve Munday, Doug Stephens and Tina Wells; second row: Larry Crump, Chad Hart, Steve Putt, Kirk Reffitt, Mitchell Woodard, Jerry McClain, Rhonda Buckner, Daphne Fair, Selena Cook, Melanie Foster, Patricia Reed and Kathy Richmond; third row: Mrs. Chloe Ann Stewart, Edsel Boyd, Doug Toy, Gary Buckler, Todd Smith, Jim Given, Mike Razor, Jennifer Sheppard, Pam Boyd, Kim Hawkins, Mary Jones, Mollie Withrow, Lynn Reed and Mrs. Clark; fourth row: Russell Scaggs, William Crouch, Tim Jones, Jeff Pendleton, Donald Purvis, Helen Bowles, Judy Richmond, Brenda Vice, Carol Saunders, Cindy Miller and Karen Bailey.

A vintage photograph sparked a ton of childhood memories for me and several of my Bethel Elementary School classmates last week.

Tina Wells Staton shared her picture of our fourth grade class on her Facebook page, a photograph from 1972 that took us back to not only our school days, but of lasting friendships.

With five other siblings, we had to alternate which one of us got to order a class picture each year, so I had never seen this particular one.

Our very first year at Bethel started with the head start program sometime around 1967, which if I am not mistaken was held during the summer and then we entered first grade that fall.

Out of those 43 faces I remembered them all except for a couple so Mitch Woodard and Helen Bowles came to our rescue to put a name to those faces.

Mrs. Chloe Ann Stewart and Miss Betty Clark taught us in one combined classroom.

Former classmates chimed in with their memories of different teachers and which ones were the meanest.

While Mrs. Chloe Ann was at the top of the list as the best teacher ever, we did have a few teachers that were on the mean side.

I think we all agreed it was Mr. Arnett that scared us the most since he kept his paddle, the one that had the drilled holes, close at hand.

I can’t remember if I ever got a paddling from Mr. Arnett, but I did have to stand in front of the classroom and touch my toes a few time for passing notes when I was supposed to be working on math problems.

Another prominent memory was how we made our music teacher really mad when we were in the third grade.

I can still see Mrs. Evelyn Arrasmith as she walked into the room with her music books hugged up against her, as she stood in the doorway.

For a few short minutes she waited for us to settle down, then she turned abruptly, walked back out and slammed the door so hard the little glass panes rattled.

Our teacher, Miss Anna Ware, made each of us write a letter of apology and hand deliver them to Mrs. Evelyn the next day.

We recalled being assigned to take down names if anyone got out of their seat or talked or passed notes.

For each of us who read the comments we were reminded of how much fun it was to be a ten year old again as visions of playing jacks or jumping rope filled our thoughts.

I guess I was still in my ten year old frame of mind when Ada and Macy came to spend the night last Friday.

Macy was excited that her first grade class was learning to jump rope and asked me if I knew how?

I sure did, let me show you I told her.

Well my ten year old mind did not match up with my mamaw self and after a few turns of the rope I was sure I needed a chiropractor or a heavy dose of ibuprofen at least.

Over forty years have passed since that class picture was taken, I am not so good at jumping rope now days, but I think I can hold my own in a game of Jacks!