Growing Up in Williamsport, Ohio

​Academics
 
I failed to write about the Eighth Grade Test earlier. Every 8th grader had to take it in order to  graduate into high school. I don’t remember whether we took the test at the school or had to go off site to take it. I think we all took it with fear and trembling. Since I had to work for every good grade that I got, I didn’t have any expectation for exultation. : ) The good  news for me was that my hard work paid off and I placed fifty-fifth in Pickaway County that year. The superintendent, Mr. Lanman, told me that I had placed 48th in the county in science. I guess they used these tests to counsel us about what classes we should take in high school.
 
I remember how exciting it was on the last day of school when we had assembly. Our names were called and we got to go up front to receive our certificates. We got a certificate for graduating eighth grade.  Other certificates were for our tests, grades and attendance. If you hadn’t done well, at least you could get a certificate for perfect attendance….that is if you had perfect attendance. I still have my certificates.
 
We always got new clothes for the last day of school. When the assembly was over, we had a picnic lunch which was held in the gym with our proud mothers coming and bringing picnic food. We were proud of our mothers for being there.
 
Dressed in our new clothes, we trudged home feeling bittersweet that school was over for the summer and we would miss our school friends.
 
Because I was interested in a lot of things, in high schooI, I took shorthand, typing and office practices, biology and chemistry, algebra and geometry, Latin and Home Economics. Was I crazy or what?

©Marilyn Francis Ferguson 2020
Photography/graphics by Michele Ferguson Schuck