Auntie Jen's Family Trees: Kindergarten Day!

According to Thomas MacEntee, today is Kindergarten Day! Did you attend Kindergarten? I did! I was excited to start Kindergarten and meet new friends. But I was also scared to death. I had horrible anxiety when I was a kid. I remember my mom putting me on the bus that first day. I was to the point of tears and begging her to not make me go. But once I got going, things were alright.
I attended Kindergarten at Geggie Elementary in Eureka, Missouri in 1987. My teacher was Mrs. Ammann. There were two Kindergarten classes in the morning and two in the evening. I had morning Kindergarten. I actually have my yearbook from that year, but it's not in the best condition. I had gotten ahold of it when I was young and kind of marked it up a bit. So I will only share the cover of the yearbook. I know many schools don't do yearbooks for elementary school, so I'm glad ours did. I have all the yearbooks from all my grades.


Geggie Elementary School Yearbook Eureka, Missouri 1987-1988	Pictures of the school Geggie Elementary School Yearbook 1987-1988

My mom kept EVERYTHING from my years in school. Photos, schoolwork, and more. I have some memories from Kindergarten. I didn't have a best friend really, but I had a few friends. Crystal, Hillary, Bobbi, and Sara. I'm still friends with Crystal and Hillary to this day.
Some memories I have about Kindergarten include playing with blocks during indoor recess, having show-and-tell in which I shared my stuffed bunny, and one of my classmates kept accidentally taking my work home instead of his. I remember having a box to put in my cubby that had my pencils, crayons, pencil sharpener, and other items.
Oh my gosh and I remember if we were bad, we would have to go sit on a stuffed turtle. It was almost like a mat, but softer like a pillow. Oh, and it was so upsetting if we had to go sit on a turtle. I think I had to only once, but can't remember.
I also remember lining up at the end of the day for our school bus. One time I got in the wrong line and got on the wrong bus. Oops! I knew I was on the wrong bus when it started going the wrong way from what I was used to. Oh, it scared my mom to death! The bus I was on was out of radio range for a while, so they didn't know what was going on. I do remember all of a sudden the bus driver asking if there was anyone on the bus that lived, I think, at my address or something and I raised my hand. She said you realize you are on the wrong bus. I felt so bad. So she finished her route and then dropped me home. My Papa was waiting for me. He always stood out and waited for me to come home.
Wow, so many memories are just flooding back. I am just mentally walking through the halls at my Elementary School. The school is still there today, but it has changed so much. I would love to walk the halls again just to see how much it changed. Do you have memories from Kindergarten?

History of Kindergarten in St. Louis
Believe it or not, the first Public School Kindergarten was right here in St. Louis. In Carondelet to be more specific. Susan Blow opened started the first Kindergarten in 1873. She utilized the "learn through play" approach to cognitive development first created by Friedrich Froebel in Germany.

"In September 1873, Susan Blow opened the first public kindergarten at the Des Peres School in Carondelet. While most classrooms were plain, Blow’s kindergarten classroom was bright and cheerful. It had low tables and short benches just right for small children. The room contained many plants, books, and toys for children to use during work and play. Students learned about color, shapes, and fractions by using simple objects like balls and blocks. They also learned about keeping themselves clean, eating well, and getting regular exercise." Historic Missourians

Susan Blow Kindergarten Room
Des Peres School, Carondelet, St. Louis, Missouri
Emil Boehl, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

My family's roots run deep in Carondelet. Although I haven't traced any of my ancestors that attended this school as of yet. The Carondelet Historical Society is housed in the old Des Peres school. I've been there once to do research. If you would like to read more on Susan Blow or the Des Peres School, click the links below.

So Happy Kindergarten Day!

Check out some more photos from my Kindergarten year.

Slideshow Images