Kindergarten

[flying belgian]

In discussion with my siblings how come I went to kindergarten and my sister two years older did not. Kindergarten was offered to town kids in 1944 but no bussing available for us rural kids until 1958. I went in 1959. It was half days only and so the bus company first started sending a noon route in 1958. This was Mankato Mn.

 

[urbancase]

I went in 67 and all moms took the kids no buses for that in our area.

 

[Hayfarmer]

I didn't go to kindergarten, I don't think my sisters did either. It was 1/2 days and parents responsible for mid day transport. In my day it was mostly socialization, today it is like regular class and kids learn a lot there. I don't think I missed much not going, my 4 older sisters socialized me!

 

[Tony in SD]

I went to kindergarten half days in 1962. I was part of the morning class. Mom or dad picked me up at noon. My kindergarten bus driver picked me up in the morning. Coincidently, I just attended my kindergarten bus drivers 99th birthday party a few weeks ago . Stood the whole time greeting people and he knew who everyone was there. He still sharp as a tack. ALL his kids, grand kids and great grandkids were in attendance . That is quite a feat now days. Especially since they live all over the country.

 

[Not db4600]

In discussion with my siblings how come I went to kindergarten and my sister two years older did not. Kindergarten was offered to town kids in 1944 but no bussing available for us rural kids until 1958. I went in 1959. It was half days only and so the bus company first started sending a noon route in 1958. This was Mankato Mn.

The next in line didn’t go in 67, but I did attend in 74. We were the 2 of the 8 that didn’t attend the one room schoolhouse.

 

[Vito]

No kindergarten for me. They through me into the classroom early. I have a December birthday.

Vito

 

[Wdj]

In '65 kindergarten was just town kids. I'm the oldest of my siblings, I don't think they went either.

 

[TractorDad3]

My eldest (6 on Sunday) started going this year, full days. He is lucky to be the last bus pickup in the AM and first dropoff in the PM. He has a keycard that’s used to check him on/off the bus. He loves riding it as much as I did

 

[timcasbolt]

Our school had a year of Kindergarten and then a year of pre-primary. I entered Kindergarten at the age of 4 in 1960. There were two bus runs in the morning and afternoon, so we came in on the late morning run and went home on the early afternoon run. About 6 hours in school each day. After 14 years of school, the last thing I wanted was to volunteer for more school, so I entered the work force.

 

[John M]

I know I went to kindergarten, and it was 74 or 75, but thats about the extent of what I remember. I have very vague memories of it.

 

[Tim in New York]

Our rural school started me with full day kindergarten in 1963. We rode the same bus as the high schoolers. Probably part of the justification for building a new elementary school right around then.

 

[Sbird]

Nap rugs, I need one for work now.

 

[DPittman]

I enjoyed my first day of school until I found out this was gonna be an every day thing. Things went down hill from there

 

[cjunrau]

In discussion with my siblings how come I went to kindergarten and my sister two years older did not. Kindergarten was offered to town kids in 1944 but no bussing available for us rural kids until 1958. I went in 1959. It was half days only and so the bus company first started sending a noon route in 1958. This was Mankato Mn.

I went full days every other day. Don't remember much about it. I do know we had nap time after noon recess. I would fake sleeping till the bus came so I didn't have to do any work.

 

[gmccool]

I didn't go to kindergarten. My first time at school was 1st grade. We had six of us in our class. 1st and 2nd grade were in the same room with one teacher teaching both grades. She would teach us and give us a assignment and then step to the other side of the room and do the same for 2nd grade. This back and forth went on all day.

 

[40Mule]

Fall of 62 morning class. We had so many kids, two morning and two afternoon classes. Teachers switched halfway through the year. City was booming with hundreds of kids walking to neighborhood schools. A third of a mile maybe for me just around the corner. Still remember that nap rug and the little girl I walked with. Never fell asleep once. Wondered how other kids could do it. My cousins were in the one room schoolhouse a relative had donated from the corner of his farm. This was common years ago. Mostly relations at the school.

 

[kencombs]

No kindergarten available back when I was that young. But, the little country school had a deal where parents could pay tuition and have their kid enter school early.

First grade at 5yo in '48.

I've always said I must have been a brat as the parents paid to get me out of the house!

One room, one teacher first to 6th I think, maybe 8th. Five different schools first five years. Graduated HS in '60.


Early start and Feb birthday meant I was a full year at least younger than my class. Really made athletics difficult! Kids really change quickly in the mid-teens so that year meant I was generally smaller than most. Worst part was late getting driving license that is needed for car dates! Late junior year.

 

[Ultradog MN]

In discussion with my siblings how come I went to kindergarten and my sister two years older did not. Kindergarten was offered to town kids in 1944 but no bussing available for us rural kids until 1958. I went in 1959. It was half days only and so the bus company first started sending a noon route in 1958. This was Mankato Mn.

I went 1-6 grades in a one room country school. There was no kindergarten.

 

[Steven Allen]

1969/70. Full days. Rural school district (all consolidated onto one site) literally on the MO/AR border near Table Rock Lake. Blue Eye Bulldogs!

Notable event: the kindergarten room was in an old part of the school and was provided with its own bathrooms. The bathrooms doors were solid wood and quite heavy. I was standing by the door one day waiting for my turn, leaning against the door jam with my hand resting atop one of the hinges.

Someone closed the door.



When the door was opened again, my fingers were torn and bleeding freely. I was placed in a chair by the teacher's desk with my hand on a towel with a cloth over it and an ice bag until my mom arrived. She whisked me off to the nearest hospital--not a short drive--where it was determined that no fingers were broken--there was apparently a fairly large gap between the door and its frame. So I was out a day or two as my hand healed.

I have never placed my fingers between a door and its jam again.


My first name is Steven. One of my classmates was a Stephen. I teased the poor kid because his name was spelled funny. Nowadays, it seems there are more Stephens than Stevens. Another thing to blame on the $@%&*! Greeks.


Another notable event: it was at the end of Christmas break that year (honestly, it may have been the year after that--my memory fades) that the area was hit by a serious snow storm that lasted a couple days. When it was done, I was sent out into the front yard (literally on the lakefront) to measure the depth with a yardstick. 32". No joke, and no drifts: 32" (for the northerners who might scoff, remember that this was the Missouri Ozarks: we just didn't see many snows like that one).

We didn't go back to school until almost February. Taney and Stone counties were not equipped to deal with that kind of snow on its winding, hilly, narrow, treacherous-when-dry roads. We made up the lost time by going half Saturdays and well into June: not a popular choice for us students or our parents.

A family friend spent his Christmastide in New York, whence he came. He returned to the lake to find his dock at the bottom of the cove and two of his boats down there with it (the third was a large cruiser sitting at the marina on a lift and therefore safe). He had to replace the broken dock (the remaining sound portion he dedicated to being a swimming platform). The rowboat was, of course, just fine after being raised and dried out. The ski boat, whoever, needed work on its controls, and the 75-horse Evinrude was never the same afterwards despite thorough reconditioning. Shame, too: that had been a sweet little boat.

Funny how a simple question can evoke a string of memories.

 

[1948CaseVAI]

Maybe off topic a bit but FWIW currently and for quite a few years in the past in my city the only kids who are not bussed to government public schools are 1 and 2 years old. 3 year olds go to "early start"; 4 year olds go to "head start"; 5 year olds go to kindergarten then from 6 onward they go to the classis grades.