I started third grade in August 1996. I was at the same school and in the same program with two teachers, one teaching reading/writing and the other math/science/social studies. I wasn't too impressed with these teachers. I don't remember connecting with either on any type of level. And since I was always the Teacher's Pet, this is saying something.
Bullet points, because it looks neater:
- Third grade was the first year actually having a group of friends. My best friend up until that point was a girl named Jenny that lived next-door to me. She had an older brother so the four of us (me, my brother, Jenny, and her brother) would hang out a lot. Anyway, this year I had a group of three friends: Meghan, Asia, and Heather. Meghan lived close to me so I slept over at her house a lot. Asia came in halfway into the school year and I just remember the entire class getting excited about her being there. She was a Popular Kid and somehow, she ended up in my circle of friends. Heather was a girl that was just crazy. She had a really screwed-up home life and once, while all four of us were gathered in the bathroom before school, she gave out a gasp and asked what day it was. We told her and she said, "Oh, my God! My parents died yesterday!" We totally didn't believe her because a.) why would she be at school? and b.) why wouldn't she remember this happening yesterday? I would really like to know what she's like today.
- I started reading series books this year, such as The Baby-Sitter's Club and Sweet Valley Twins. My friends and I went nuts, trying to read all the books and we also decided on which "baby-sitter" we were. I was Stacey, the "sophisticated" one.
- Midway through the year, we moved. This became the first of many, many moves in my life. We moved because we were living in a small, 2-bedroom apartment. My parents wanted my brother and me to have separate rooms, plus we had major flooding issues that the apartment management didn't seem concerned about. So we moved to a nice, three-bedroom apartment in Clearwater. Honestly, I still have fond memories of this apartment. My brother and I stayed at the same school for the rest of the year, mainly because my parents were cool and didn't change our address with the school system. (Hehehe!)
- Every kid in third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade had to make a science project. And I'm talking about big, trifold board and everything. My mom had two kids who needed to have projects done. So we did one project, something involving volcanoes. All I remember is baking soda and a soda bottle. My mom put the whole thing together. And my friend Meghan "forgot" to do her's and made me write her name on my board, as if we did it together. Anyway, our project didn't win and I learned absolutely nothing.
- There was a student in my class who missed an entire week of school. Before he came back, my teacher told us that the kid's mom had passed away. I was shocked because I had never been close to death before. Death hadn't really touched my life in any way. I didn't know how to act towards him. His mom had died. I couldn't imagine losing my mother and felt so incredibly sad for him.
- I don't remember much about my afternoon teacher. My morning teacher was a real matronly woman who was sweet and kind. My afternoon teacher was morbidly obese and spent about 80% of the classtime behind her desk. The only time I really remember her teaching is during a science lesson. That's really sad.
- We had a post office in the middle of our school. Third-graders were the only ones around to work in it. Kids could write letters to anyone in the school. Each class had a certain time they could come to the post office and the workers would put stamps on them and file them. And then we would deliver to them to the classes. It was the best experience of third grade. I loved working in the post office. It was so much fun! I have no idea why my school had this post office and I never sent a letter to anyone, but it was a great experience nonetheless.
- Our music teacher decided that she would teach us how to play the recorder. We had to buy one if we wanted to participate and would have a 30-minute lesson after our music class. I begged my parents to buy me one and they did. We searched forever for the perfect recorder and I was so excited to go to my first lesson. Until I came back from my lesson to find out those 30 minutes are a free period for my friends. Basically, they got to hang out and play for that time. I was jealous. And never went back to lessons again. (Yes, I'm aware this makes me lame.)
- I got an awful haircut this year. Basically, it was a mullet. My hairdresser made a huge mistake and when I got to school my best friend laughed at me. Not the best experience of my life.
