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CANDY’S CORNER BY CANDY OWENS
“I
t’s time to say “Good-Bye” our year has come to an end. We’ve made some cherished memories with all our Kindergarten friends. We’ve watched each other learn and grow and change from day to day. We hope that all the things we’ve done will help us along the way. So it’s with happy memories we all go out the door, with great hope and expectations for what life holds in store.” I was cleaning out one of my dresser drawers the other day and as I sorted through several stacks of photographs, I came across an end of the year program from Eastside Baptist Kindergarten that was dated: June 2, 1966. I realized that the program was from the year my sister Karen graduated Kindergarten and I was in the 3 years old class. The cover of the program was typed on a typewriter and had a hand drawn picture of a little boy and girl wearing a Mortar board hat and holding a diploma (which I had sometime through the years colored with crayons or should I say scribbled. HaHa!) The bottom of the program had a typed bible verse that read: “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6. The inside of the program had the agenda for the graduation ceremony which started out with a welcome from Eastside’s Pastor B.B. Chesteine, followed by an introduction of the School Committee, which consisted of: Mrs. Mary Ginn, Mrs. Jesse
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Hiott, Mr. Al Heither, Mr. Alex Nelson, and Mr. Felton Williams, and the teachers: Mrs. Audrey Johnson, Mrs. Jean Rice, Mrs. Jane Lyndall, Mrs. Mary Tussing, Mrs. Helen Rayburn, Mrs. Edith Howard, Mrs. Elizabeth Stembrock, and Miss Carol Brocker. Next, everyone stood for The Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag, to the Christian Flag, and to The Bible. The Lord’s Prayer was given and then all of the graduating Kindergarten students assembled at the altar. The girls were all dressed in their fancy pastel colored dresses, lacy socks, patent leather shoes, hair bows and hair bands, and the boys were dressed in their white dress shirts, bow ties, dress pants, and best Sunday shoes. Their hair was slicked back, combed back, or buzzed off in a crew cut. Everyone was dressed in their best and everyone was smiling. (The reason that I know this is because my Father filmed this occasion with his brand new 8mm movie camera that he had just bought at Sears in Lakeland.) The graduating students that year from Mrs. Audrey Johnson’s class were: Carolyn Andreau, Patti Britt, Daryl Blanton, David Cannon, Jennifer Dean, Robin Baghita, Joyne Duke, Sonny Hall, Danny Hutcheson, Debbie Johnson, Robyn May, DeLinda Ortman, Karen Owens, Ellen Pace, Sally Shearin, Laura Snow, Timmy Surrency, and Elbert Taylor. Graduates from Mrs. Jean Rice’s class were: Patti Beckum, Donna Bailey, Cheryl Boles, Penny Campbell, Jay Chancey, Todd Duffer, Hayne Duke, Ricky Edgemon, Lynn Hickman, Douglas Johnston, Lisa Kalel, Teresa Sapp, Jay Strickland, Rhonda Woodard, and Jerry Owens. Graduates from Mrs. Jane Lyndall’s class were: Randy Binnion, Rhonda Carter, Randy Dell, Donnie DuBoise, Mike Higley, Deloris Jones, Jim McLin, Tami Napier, Greg Paul, Alton Steel, Stevie Townsend, and Kathy Wells. The graduating classes sang three songs: She’ll be Coming round the Mountain, America the Beautiful, and Johnny works with one Hammer. The younger classes sang: Boys and Girls for Jesus, Train to the Zoo, and I’m a Little Teapot which was performed
by my class, Mrs. Helen Rayburn’s class and assisted by Mrs. Edith Howard. A few of my classmates were: Ricky Austin, Jimmy Adcock, Jimmy Boles, Julie Burt, Patti Sue Cox, Gray Crider, Pam Frasier, Cathy Cliburn, Ricky Creamer, Chuck Forbes, Butch Huber, Eric Fortenberry, Steve Hatler, Dwayne Moore, John Salter, Candy Owens (me), Stephanie Webb, Kim LaFon, Kirk Mays, Steve Hatler, Jeff Wills, and Steve Waller. I can remember that Mrs. Rayburn’s class was in the old building that lead out to the playground. I can remember Valentine’s Day that year because my Mother and I got up extra early that morning so we could go to Kirby’s Bakery and get Valentine’s cookies for my class. We picked out beautiful red and pink iced heart shaped sugar cookies and I was so excited. On the ride back to Eastside I held the big white bakery box in my lap and I kept opening and closing the box to look at the cookies. When we arrived at the school my Mother came around the car to my side and opened the door for me and took the box of cookies. I begged her to let me carry the cookies to my classroom. My Mother agreed but told me sternly not to run with the box. Well, I did not listen and I was so excited that I took off running and before you knew it I tripped on a crack in the sidewalk and there went the cookies! Oh how I cried! I think I broke every cookie but one. (One more reason to listen to your Mother, Ha Ha!!!) I can remember that on the days when my sister Karen and I had to go to school before the expected time, all the early children would meet in the old building which held the lunchroom, the kitchen, the offices, the nap area, and a great room where kids played with toys, watched Captain Kangaroo, and sang songs before classes began. I can remember that every once-in-a while, one of the teachers would play the piano and all the children would gather round and sing along. When it was time for classes to begin we marched to our classrooms and started our busy day. I remember how Mrs. Rayburn and Mrs. Howard would have us sit in our seats around the table and call the roll. We would then bow our heads in prayer and Mrs. Rayburn would tell everyone to make sure and close their eyes. (and she checked for closed eyes! HaHa!) We would have lessons, crafts, chapel, pay time out on the playground, potty time, nap time, story time, lunch time, and my favorite of them all…juice and cookie time. I can remember our class marching back to the great room where we would sit on the floor and the teachers would pass these hug clear plastic containers of Tom’s or Sunshine cookies around the circle and each child could take two cookies. Then came the Hi C punch
(or juice I should say). Mrs. Rayburn or Mrs. Howard would tell us a story and then we would go out to play. I loved the playground at Eastside. The ground was covered with white sand and there were swings, monkey bars, see-saws, horseless merry-go-rounds, jungle-gyms and even an old row boat. I loved that merry-go-round until one day I got pushed off by another kid and got my head stuck underneath. From then on I stayed away. There were also two huge old oak trees that the kids seemed to love to play around. The trees had huge roots and all the children would hold hands and go around and around those trees trying to step only on the roots because we played like a shark would eat your feet if you stepped off the root and onto the sand. Well, that was all fun and good until one day a little girl behind me thought that I was not going fast enough around the tree and she pushed me. Well, that’s all that it took and I fell on one of those big dark roots and bit through my bottom lip. To say the least, that was the last time I played shark attack around those trees. Naptime was my least favorite time of the day at Eastside. I remember how we had to lie down on these green canvas army type cots. The teachers would read us a story and then we had to have “close your eyes” time, but I was not always ready for “close your eyes” time. Mrs. Rayburn and Mrs. Howard would walk around the cots and make sure that our eyes were closed and that we were quiet. It did not take long for us to fall fast asleep once we closed our eyes. Remember, we kids worked very hard at play time, story time, and juice and cookie time! Mrs. Rayburn and all of the other teachers at Eastside Baptist Kindergarten were what you would call very strict. They all loved their students and wanted them to mind, love each other, treat each other with respect, and grow up to be fine outstanding Christian adults. I loved all of my teachers and friends at Eastside Baptist and so many years have passed by since my class sang: I’m a little teapot. The old building with the great room where we sang, took naps on cots, played with toys, ate lunch, and had juice and cookie time has been gone for years. Mrs. Helen Rayburn passed away this year after a long and full life. I will miss her just like I miss all my little friends and all the good times that we had at Eastside, but she along with they will always and forever be in my heart.