School
1
When we moved to Shady Ave. Ext. from an apartment on Alderson Street, I was still not old enough for kindergarten. The closest school was on Murray Avenue; it was called Roosevelt School. That’s where I went to kindergarten. I was terrified of this place. It was a huge, tall, old school that housed K-6 grade levels, and inside it seemed as if everyone was bigger than I was (and they were) and everybody was always rushing around. That was when there was morning kindergarten only. The walk from our home to this school included a long walk down the Lilac Street hill. In the winter I was terrified by that too.
During the summer of 1955 a new school was built, called John Minadeo School. That was much closer to home and did not require an icy walk down Lilac Street. Starting first grade in a new-smelling school was something to look forward to; also I had matured and I wasn’t afraid all the time. My new friends on Shady Ave. Ext. also walked there every day so the whole situation was different from having to make my way to Roosevelt School.
I believe that I received an excellent education within the Pittsburgh Public School system. The teachers were bright, somewhat creative, and caring. It was there, also in first grade, that I first learned to play the piano. The itinerant music teacher came once a week and showed me–using a fold-up cardboard keyboard–the keys of the piano. No pianos available at that time but, and this amazes me now, I did learn to play the piano in this way. I couldn’t hear what I was playing, but I learned the octaves, keys, sharps and flats, many other signs and symbols used in writing music.
I loved books and learning. As I made my way through the grades I grew really passionate about the world around me, classical music, art, even politics, and I was encouraged by my teachers. I made a sculpture of a horse in art class which everyone admired.
It wasn’t until I entered sixth grade that the dumbing down process began to unfold.
lgmwriting 