| I have many stories
of Cumberland School beginning with my first day
of kindergarten in the room at the bottom of the
steps, first room to the left. My mom and I entered
with great anticipation and some confusion because
I thought I, Annie Whited, was about to enter
kindergarten...imagine my surprise when my mom
announced that she was there to drop off Annette
Whited. I remember looking up at mom and asking
who that was; she shushed me and later told me
that was my real name. |
| Everything was
fine after that. The teacher, Miss. Dean took
us on a tour of the school, I remember the feeling
as though it was a museum because the halls were
lined with pictures of past teachers, principals,
and graduates all dressed in an "old fashioned"
way or at least old in perspective to anything
I had ever seen up to that point. |
| I also remember
bits and pieces about tiny moments spent there,
for example: Miss Dean in kindergarten with Jimmy
Stevens cheering me on as I attempted to count
to 20, first grade with Miss Bauchna helping me
to read, second grade with Mrs. Collins telling
me to look up a word I didn't know how to spell
in the dictionary. I was a bit confused about
that one, but I learned a great trick, third grade
with Miss. L??? reading Miss Moppett to us, fourth
and fifth grade with Mrs. Starrett and Mrs. Lahamer
they both had babies and I remember Mrs. Starrett
teaching us about world geography (north, south,
east, west, longitude and latitude) and believe
it or not I still use these skills! And finally
sixth grade with Mr. Starrett, the Beach Boys
song lover and a giant kid himself; all of these
teachers hold a special spot in my heart as they
were the first to shape my world outside my home.
|
| Other memories
include my friends from my time spent at Cumberland
school. The first three friends I made were Jennifer
Willis, Lori Maust and Leslie Wickham. I clearly
remember the first time I met Jennifer; she was
tall with long blonde hair and blue eyes. Her
mother used to pull her hair up into a bun, so
naturally I thought she was a ballerina. Leslie
was another person I clearly remember because
she was the little girl that came to play with
me when I lived on my grandparents farm and she
had a neat name that reminded me of a butterfly
(what can I say, I was 4 years old), her parents
lived on a farm near ours. Lori's grandma went
to church with my grandma and I used to go play
with her at their house in the country. I remember
making "peanut butter cornflake candy"
with them and in one of their rooms they had a
cool collection of dead butterflies in glass cases.
|
| I remember that
second grade brought the addition of Jeff Wheeler,
a boy with dark hair and the bluest eyes I had
ever seen, even more blue than my sister's. He
was a kind boy with an old soul. I remember playing
"paper football" in the cafeteria when
we weren't allowed to talk. Third and fourth grade
brought the additions of Mark Schultize and Tony
Harris. Mark had an arm made for baseball and
Tony had a personality made for fun. Mark's arm
once sent me head over heels while playing a game
of kickball, I was running for second base when
he threw the ball at my head and knocked me off
my feet, sending me head first into the sand....ouch!!!
He felt really bad about it and years later he
saved me from falling head first into the stream
that was at the edge of the playground. While
playing I was pushed over the edge of the tunnel
and was hanging from my knees, he grabbed my hand
and pulling me to safety. Tony was always so funny
and grown up, he got to drink coffee during class.
|
| There are so many
memories from my time at Cumberland Elementary,
but none that stand out like my last year. It
was the fall of my 6th grade year, I remember
it well because it was Halloween and we were having
a festival of some sort and I was too cool to
wear a costume. My mom was president of the booster
club and had to announce something. She was wearing
a long pink dress and she was tapping at the microphone
to get attention without much success, when suddenly
a great operatic “wooahhhh” erupted
from her and a hush fell like a wave across the
gym and people from the halls quietly stepped
in to see just what was going on. Mom chuckled
a bit and thanked the audience for their attention
and the chance to sing, gave her announcement,
curtsied as any great performer would and left
the floor. |
| Not one soul noticed
as I, standing at the back of the gym, slide slowly
down the wall, wishing that I was not there and
wondered if anyone would notice me crawling out
of the building. After the chatter surrounding
me reached an acceptable level I found the courage
to get back up and join in the fun. I don't remember
much else about that night, but that is o.k. because
being able to remember the events of life in such
great detail and fondness is a gift that only
age can grant. |
| Thank God I've
made it this far and for the memories yet to be
made. |
Submitted
by: Annette Marie (Whited) Berry,
1988 Graduate of Meadowbrook High School |
|
