Wildwood Elementary School – Many Years Ago

i was inspired to post this blog to commemorate the newly updated and beautiful Wildwood Elementary School, my alma mater.

you are viewing our 6th grade class at Wildwood Elementary and PHS class of 1982

can you find me?

can you find scott hill or is it kent hill?  one of the hill twins is definitely in this photo.   scott, kent and i have been friends since kindergarten and we still see many of the faces pictured in this class photo.

back in the day, Wildwood ( our school ), Havens and Beach Elementary Schools all started in Kindergarten and went through the 6th Grade.   Wildwood was the medium sized school, Beach being the smallest and Havens double the size.  we were the WILDWOOD WINNERS and Coach Humphries ( the current Piedmont High School PE Teacher ) was our elementary school PE teacher.  and Rich was our janitor.  ( he recently retired from PMS in 2011 the same year our son Chase and Scott’s son Skip graduated from PMS )   we played 4 Square at lunch and at recess and after school bruised our wrists at tetherball and we all wore white Jack Purcells.

our last year of junior high came one year early for us.  we spent the 7th and 8th grade in Piedmont Junior High as our 9th grade year was the year they switched things up in Piedmont and moved us upward and onwards from the junior high to the high school the same year as the class of 1981.   we went from being 8th graders in the middle of the pack, sandwiched between the 7th and 9th graders and then went back down to the bottom as we entered PHS as lower classman – 9th graders.   they separated us from the upper classman as our building and red lockers were located down below the main campus where the Millenium School is now.

two things stand out most

in the 7th grade i got glasses.  i will never forget putting my glasses on and looking out from the second floor balcony of the Piedmont Junior High School in awe.  i just never knew the sky was so blue and the buildings and bridges were so beautifully defined and clear.  it was  truly incredible.

the second was in 9th grade when i got a perm.  gosh only knows why i did that.  but just like everyone else, you want what you don’t have, right?  well i got it.  curly hair.  boy did i get it.  i walked through the double doors, down the long red hallway wearing my FROSH Cheerleading outfit ( i was head cheerleader – so you could have guessed ) and everyone knew ( even without the convenience of Facebook ) everyone knew i had gotten a perm and that i hated it.  as i recall, scott and kent were the first to see me and to tease me.  i’ll never forget it.

and now, they work for me!

( actually, we all work together at HIGHLAND PARTNERS, but that was a good punch line, don’t you think? )

the teasing was all in good fun.  i have always had the ability to laugh at myself.  it was at that very moment when i first learned and clearly understood the phrase —  “and it too will pass”.  i knew my hair would grow out and all would be okay.

we have to remember to share that simple phrase with our children, our clients, our family, friends and colleagues.   so much is happening out there in the world today and in our own lives, but we have to remember and remind —  “it too will pass”.

xoxo!