I’ve posted some of Dad’s other report cards, here’s his 4th grade card.
He seemed to have trouble working and playing with others, was not very polite and didn’t show much regard for the opinions and wishes of others. He was also distractable and rarely on time. He also didn’t get his work in on time. He had trouble with obstacles and with using his own resources.
Hmm — maybe that’s where I got my ADHD. I always thought it was Mom.
In a box in the kneewall of our attic is a box marked “Mom’s Stuff” that contains some things I took from my mother’s house that are particularly relevant to her. Here are her grade school report cards.
Mom went to Garfield Elementary School in Elgin, Illinois. In her later years she reconnected with some of her grade school classmates and met often for lunch or other activities.
Her Kindergarten teacher was Jane W. Johnson. Mom’s grades were satisfactory across the board.
Her first grade teacher was Marion D. Korby. Under Citizenship and Character Development it looks like my mom was satisfactory in everything except respecting law and order. For the first half of the year she either needed improvement or was improving but still unsatisfactory.
Academically it seems she was fine except that she needed improvement in reading silently without lip movement. WTF? Is that even something?
Also interesting is that she was absent for 9 days (out of around 40) for the last grading period.
Mom’s second grade teacher was Helen Bartlett. This year she was satisfactory in everything and hardly absent at all.
Mom’s teacher in third grade was Clara Wechter and Mom was again satisfactory in everything.
In fourth grade the report card not only changes color, but the academic section changes, adding more subjects including Social Studies, Spelling, Handwriting, Music, Art, PE and Manual Arts (whatever that was). Mom’s teacher was Edna Gage (possibly a distant relative on Mom’s father’s side) and Mom was satisfactory in everything.
In fifth grade where Mom had M. Parlasca for a teacher (M for Mrs or Miss or Mary or Mr.?) the report cards changed again. A whole page for Citizenship (where no check = good) and another page for Scholarship and Attendance. Another change is that now grades A, B, C, D, and E are used instead of S, N, and I. It looks like Mom was a solid B student in most subjects with English, Spelling and Handwriting turning to A second semester.
M. Roberts taught Mom in sixth grade. Mom was again a solid B student, except for Arithmetic where she received A- most periods.
Among some of the more interesting items I found at Mom’s house last month was a Joseph Spiess box of photos, letters and documents that belonged to my Uncle Don and Aunt Leila. One of the items was my dad’s 9th grade report card from Plato Township High School.
For some reason I’d always thought dad quit school before 9th grade, but I was mistaken. Maybe it was just after 9th grade. It was not something he was proud of. I think he actually might have liked school — or at least respected the teachers because he always wanted me to be a teacher and was proud that I became one.
Despite dropping out of high school, this report card doesn’t look too bad — It looks like science was his best subject (after PE). His English scores were good the first semester, but not so good the second. I don’t understand the “incompletes” in Agriculture though. His dad was a farmer.
His English teacher, Miss Muirhead, must be a relative of our alpaca farm friends.
Clutch Cargo Lips 