Put on your thinking caps, it’s time to go back to school. Sharing a few of my back to school memories.
Good morning! Yesterday was the first day back to school for my niece and nephew. They were pretty excited to get back to see their friends, after a long summer of fun. Hopefully that feeling won’t wear off once the homework piles up. As I was talking with them about their first day back at school I was reminded of so many of my own first days of school.
School Uniforms
From kindergarten through high school I attended Catholic schools and part of our back to school schedule was the trip to the uniform store. We wore plaid jumpers with white shirts and knee socks until high school. I can tell you that a jumper, especially plaid, is universally unflattering for every body type, everyone looks like a big tartan square.
Once we started high school, all girls, we wore plaid skirts with white shirts. About the only place you could show off your fashion sense was in your choice of socks or shoes. Believe me, there is still a competition to look cool in uniforms. Even if only to impress the other girls or the one or two boys that came over for select classes from the neighboring all boys school.
Personally, I loved my uniform. It made it so easy to get up and get dressed in the morning. I never had to worry about what to wear or how I was going to look. Funny because when my niece changed schools to one with uniforms she made the observation that she would save an hour a day not having to think about what to wear!
First Day of School
In my formative years we moved every two years, so there were a lot of “firsts” day of school as the new kid. As I type this I think about the awkward feeling of standing in the front of the class and having to introduce myself yet again to a new group of kids, most of whom had been going to school together for years, all eyes on you giving you the once over. Thankfully we stopped moving when we started high school.
In life there are many of those same awkward moments, on your first day at your new job, the day you join a new club or a class, or when you step into a room of strangers at a party. Oddly, it never gets any easier for me. I always feel as if I am back in a room standing in front of a bunch of kids who are “taking my measure” as they say.
Does anyone have any tips for making this easier? I would love to hear them!
School Supplies
Does anyone remember shopping for school supplies? First the 8 pack of Crayons, a bottle of Elmers glue, round sizzors and some #2 pencils. Then colored pencils, or the big box of crayons, maybe even markers, glue sticks and composition books. Don’t forget the importance of a lunch box!
Once high school came around we ditched the lunch box, for brown paper bags or hot lunch, the composition books went by the wayside in favor of a Trapper keeper and a tote became a backpack.
I was such a nerd that I practically broke my back carrying all of my books back and forth to school “just in case” I needed them, even when we had no homework.
Share Your Back to School Memories
Tell me, what are your memories of going back to school?
What sort of school did you attend? Religious, public, private?
What is your favorite memory of going back to school?
Do you have any first day of school or back to school horror stories, i.e, not being able to open your locker, getting lost, etc?
Until Next Time
I hope that you have a great day and for those of you frantically running around trying to fulfill the endless list of back to school supplies good luck with the new school year.
I hope that you enjoyed my Back to School Memories and that you share a few of yours.
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I loved this!! Many fond memories came flooding back for me reading your post…..I loved going back to school and the promise that a new year brought. New supplies, finding out who was in my classes, etc…ti was all so exciting!
I too went to a Catholic school and didn't mind the uniform either, it made dressing a cinch:) Wishing you a wonderful day…..
I attended public schools. The work I didn't mind, it was some of the other kids there that I didn't care for.
My favorite parts were new school supplies, new school clothes and meeting up with your school chums that you may not have seen over the entire summer!
Some of my favorite parts of back to school were brand new school supplies (anyone remember pee-chee folders)? New school clothes and meeting up your school chums that you hadn't seen all summer long!
Back to school is making me a bit melancholy this year as for the first time I don't even have anyone going back to college (Carter is already in Hong Kong and will move himself into the dorm this weekend). My daughter wore a plaid jumper and I loved her in it – the little girls were so cute with their ankle socks and pig tails with big bows. I miss those days so much!
Hope you are having a wonderful week, Elizabeth! xoxo
I went to Catholic school, too, and then a 4 year Catholic college 🙂
It’s funny, I remember trying to be stylish in my uniform, too – we lived in an area with a ton of snow so we were allowed to wear turtlenecks under our white blouses, and I remember a trend in the 80s where we’d wear two different colors of turtlenecks and fold down the collar so it was two-toned 🙂
Almost time to pull out my Bass Weejuns! (I guess I’ve never stopped dressing in a uniform, LOL).
p.s. I actually thought of you this morning when I was reading my devotions – I’m also reading a book by Max Lucado and he talks about anxiety about world events and how we’re not really built to have unending constant news thrown at us from around the world…I’ll try to dig up the paragraph that you might like.
Amy, it is funny to think back on that time. I went to Marquette University for my Masters Degree and I loved it! I am not sure where you are from but I grew up in Michigan and Wisconsin so I know that you are talking about when staying warm on cold winter days. I would love to read the article/paragraph that you are referring to! Thank you for thinking of me.
Oh, friend! School evokes so many memories…not just of me as a student, but over 30 years as a teacher…now there are stories. I always was a part of public education and the banter of uniforms was tossed around numerous times to no avail. So many stories to share that you may have opened Pandora’s box!
Leslie I can only imagine the stories that you have to share. I see a post about this in your future.
The mental stress selecting clothes was the worse part of school. Many times it was worse than being made fun of. I don’t remember many outfits, but in sharp memory is me wearing my favorite quarter inch beige gingham flared skirt and my soft green Peter Pan collar blouse. I wore it the day three guys made fun of me in the school library. I was so deeply hurt, I could feel their remorse when their chuckling stopped.
Otherwise, news clothes for the first day of school was the highlight of the year. Oxblood, 1950s burgundy color name, Mary Jane perforated decoration sandal/shoes were my favorite. I think that awful dreaded introduction event, hello my name is, is a huge source of stress. New clothes can ease that pain.
Maywyn, it is a shame that people s like to get attention by being nasty and catty. I am sure that you looked beautiful! I love the color oxblood, so much more sophisticated than burgundy. I could not agree more, new clothes can ease a bit of pain and stress.
PUBLIC Until HIGH SCHOOL than PRIVATE.
I LOVED BACK TO SCHOOL AND THE SHOPPING EXPEDITIONS THAT TOOK PLACE BEFORE HAND!
IT WAS A GOOD TIME FOR ALL.
HIGH SCHOOL was VERY SMALL so YES NERVOUS ABOUT FINDING THE CLASS ROOM BUT I DID IT!
AS FOR NOW………JUST SMILE AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF IF they have NO WORDS for you MOVE ON TO THE NEXT!HEAD TO THE BAR for a refreshment or WATER and LOOK at the DECOR!YOU are there for a reason……….a pERSON or FUNCTION!Just remember that!
Elizabeth you always have the best advice! You are an amazing lady!
I always loved back to school and even now I still miss it, all the way through graduate school. I went to Catholic school and I loved our uniform, blackwatch stitched down pleated skirt, white blouse with Peter Pan collar and forest green Eton blazer and navy blue cardigan and knee highsocks. I still have pants, scarves and blouse in that plaid.
Our uniforms were burgundy plaid but to this day I love ALL plaid.
I imagine if everyone wore a uniform there would be no need for a dress code or sending kids home for wearing something too revealing. I don’t really have any of those memories.
Brenda
I agree Brenda, but I know that uniforms are a bone of contention for many.
Oh, we had nuns that sent girls home from school – if you were kneeling at Mass and your skirt didn’t reach the kneeler back home you went!
We did too!
I loved this post. I did not wear uniforms at primary school (up till age 11) but then we had a grey pinafore with a bright gold belt for our intermediate years (age 11-12). With my fair colouring it made me look a bit sickly. On to high school where we had a brown and dark green tartan pleated skirt with this weird pinafore like top. This made me look even worse – pine green is not my friend and nor is dark brown. I convinced my Mum to buy me a Sacred Heart sweater which was more of a forest green and I could just get away with it – still not ideal but better than the ugly pine green of our uniform. Our summer uniforms weren’t so bad – they were an unshaped green dress. For my first year at high school they were a bright pine green but after that they changed to a much softer sage green which worked way better for me. Thankfully, I grew out of my ugly pine green summer uniform in my first year so I could a new sage green one. The only problem was that the fabric showed every mark so if you spilled anything on yourself during the school day it looked terrible. Ah, the memories.
Caro; thank you for sharing your memories! It seems as if many of us had a love/hate relationship with our uniforms.
No uniforms for us. We went to public school.
But I bet you have some good memories of back to school William.
My best elementary school memory is about one of my teachers who taught us finger excersises. We would bend and point our fingers in unison with her. I had no idea that it was probably her way of quieting the children. I thought my fingers would be stronger!! Haha!!
Cindy this is such a cute memory! I love it!
I so much enjoyed reading your back-to-school memories. I have quite a lot of memories after teaching 27 years.
Paula, I had no idea that you taught for 27 years. I am sure that you have had many adventures on that journey.
Back to school season is the best, Elizabeth! I love that you have such fond memories of that time. I feel the same way. We wore uniforms half the time and regular school clothes the other half because, like you, we moved around a lot too. The uniforms definitely made mornings so much easier. I’ve given myself a work-from-home uniform and I love it for that same reason! Hope your fall season is filled with all good things, CoCo