Page 48 - She's One Crazy Lady!

48
We were taug“
encouraged me enormously. The school provided us with more than an education, it was like being part of a very large family where we all looked out for one another, cared for one another, and had fun together, all ages – the entire staff and every child from reception right up to Senior 5.
I fondly remember, at the age of thirteen, having to have my front four teeth removed and a plate fitted due to a calcium deficiency that both Jimmy and I had inherited. You will appreciate that having to have false teeth at such a young age was hard to come to terms with but everyone at St. Peter’s was just so lovely, caring and supportive, as was my dentist who so many people I knew, had a crush on – me included. (Whilst undergoing surgeries for breast cancer my four front, false, teeth always caused much hilarity as it was hard to admit to the anaesthetist that I had false teeth. They laughed for I always wrote notes on the little pots they gave you to put them in saying I was NOT to wake up without them!!)
Being a member of the school choir, under the leadership of Muriel Wallis, I remember going out into the community a great deal, especially to old people’s homes, where we would sing, as part of her choir, ‘The Cavendish Singers’ to help serve teas, run errands and spend time to talk with residents. We were always encouraged to do ‘projects’ where we had to do a lot of research; we entered competitions and we were taught so many social skills – with much emphasis placed on how to behave in different scenarios, to have respect, to have manners, to be polite and be a good citizen. Traits that, I hope, held me in good stead in later life.
ht so many social skills – with much emphasis placed on how to behave in different scenarios, to have respect, to have manners, to be polite and be a
Academically I enjoyed most subjects but could not get my head round maths. Arithmetic and problem solving came easy because of having to add up quickly when working in the shop and I could connect the problems to scenarios in everyday life, but algebra and geometry really were beyond me. I could never understand why anyone would want to substitute letters for numbers – why make life so complicated? Somehow in geometry I got it in to my head that I would never need to use this later in life, so I suppose a barrier went up and I know I didn’t try hard enough, wasting time designing patterns with the various geometric shapes. Over the course of a few years, I ended up taking maths O’ Level four times! I had some very encouraging (and probably frustrated) teachers but failed every time, always on the geometry and algebra sections. Even when I later taught basic geometry and algebra to my classes I had to show enthusiasm and be careful not to impress on the children that they weren’t really that important, knowing they really were.
good citiz”
Mrs Chamberlain was my favourite teacher. She was our form tutor for a couple of years and taught us English Language, English Literature and Religious Education. I wish she was alive now to know that I have written this book, for I was never that good at writing in school, even though I loved reading. I was told I was good on the factual side but lacked imagination when it came to the weekly compositions.
en.