1984
This is the first time a classmate or a child had died around me and nobody wanted to talk about it.
There was a young girl in a wheelchair who I interacting with on a regular basis, I got to push her around and I remember being thanked for being so helpful, but she passed away some time during the school year, I don't remember what issues she had or anything about her, she was just gone and nobody ever talked about her ever again.
This is also he first time that I really remember getting in trouble for anything.
I can picture myself still. I was standing in line to the water fountain and there was a little boy in front of me getting a drink and for whatever reason I decided to knee him in the rear end and then he bumped his head inside the water fountain. lol
He started crying and I got in trouble. lol
I have no idea why I did this, I'm not sure what else was going on at the time, maybe I saw this in a movie and thought it was funny. lol I just remember doing it, I can't give you the motivation behind it at the moment, it's been 40 years. Needless to say whatever punishment I received didn't deter me from any whacky behavior in the future.
I took the picture above of my old classroom in July 2026. At some point they replaced the old water fountain, it used to be set into the wall. I'm shocked that I don't recall those windows running along the ceiling. (top left) I usually remember weird features like this, but I know I was always obsessed with the playground, that would be to the right of this picture and across the small parking lot. The new playground isn't as nice in my opinion. I miss the monkey bars and jungle gym.
They also had curved tables when I went there, though it's hard to see in this pic.
I don't remember graduating from Mary M Lynch, or having any type of send off to first grade, like we did in preschool.
Summer
🏫 Our Lady of Sacred Heart (OLSH) – Springfield, MA
September
I was excited to start going to school at O.L.S.H., Our Lady of Sacred Heart Catholic school.
I knew my grandfather worked there as a custodian, and I knew my cousins already went there as well Michael and Steven. I was starting first grade and my brother and cousin Joey were starting kindergarten, a family friend Tammy Lynds also went there. It seemed like such a special event, I thought I was going to get closer to God. lol Needless to say this place wasn't as close to God as I had imagined and I learned some life lessons of my own in my time here.
It's not all bad, but I did get to experience the principals office and priests roughing me up on countless occasions.
My sister Katherine was born the 27th
This was an exciting time, I remember driving with my dad and brother bobby to the hospital and getting to hold Kathy for the first time.
My dad dropped us at my aunt Flossie's on Ray St after this and we got to hangout with our grandma Francis while they got things ready.
There was a family party when my mom got home and I remember bobby running around and then getting in trouble for stepping on Kathy in the living-room, I don't know if he really stepped on her or my mom was just over-reacting, but it was still funny. lol
I also got to introduce Kathy to my class, it was celebrated as an event, so this time felt like it was
October
I got sent to the office a lot in first grade, for talking back too much, because I couldn't sit still. The priest would yank me by my ears, shoved me, pull me by my arms, they'd grab my neck and yank me around and I was thrown down those granite steps in the front a couple of times. The priest would push me up against the wall with their fists digging their knuckles into my chest telling me that I needed to sit still and stop talking. first grade teacher sister Miriam
Well I remember my dad used to force me to eat peas and I hated them and I would almost throw up. Like that at all now I think it was because they were canned and had a funny taste. It was around this time I remember we got an Atari started playing video games and we had our family picnics and trips to New York to Fern Lake and maybe even Batavia to see my grandfather
December
I remember getting Optimus Prime that year at Toys R Us and my brother got shockwave, we got to go to the store ahead of time and let our parents know what we wanted and I fell in love with Transformers at first site, the cartoon was awesome and once I got my own toy, I felt like I was going to save the world. lol
First Grade (circa 1984–85)
You started first grade at Our Lady of Sacred Heart in Springfield, MA, at the old school building all part 2 no pics.
Your first-grade teacher was Sister Mariam all part 2 no pics.
Memories and Incidents
You described yourself as a hyper, curious kid, always asking questions, talking, and having trouble sitting still all part 2 no pics.
You got in a lot of trouble that year, especially for:
Melting crayons on the big metal steam radiators
Doodling all over your homework
Pulling a chair out from under another kid, who fell on the floor (which you acknowledged wasn’t great, but definitely stuck with you) Karen?
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