Barbara Johnstone (Bridge)

'56

Dear Barb,

I absolutely *do remember this song, and remember singing it in the auditorium with Mrs. Davidson ('60s) leading the assembly. Thanks for mentioning this! I certainly remember it better now that you have p presented it in such detail.

I have to say, that this particular song really accomplished its intended task in me as when I sang it, I thought on the words and what they meant as far as not getting flattened. This was a great thing for a child to know, particularly one who lived so close to a major artery (Washington Lane) as I did.

This was a great memory!

Michael S. '68
michael@circlegame.com

This JS Jenks thread has brought back sooo many memories - more every day. Does anyone remember the safety songs we used to sing? My sister and I were just talking about them this a.m. Do you remember this one? It was called, "PLAY BALL"

Play ball, play ball. Everyone loves to play ball.
sometimes you catch it and sometimes you miss
But when you miss, remember this:

Chorus:

Let the ball roll, let the ball roll
No matter where it may go
Let the ball roll, let the ball roll
It has to stop sometime you know

Often a truck will flatten a ball
And make it look like an egg
Although you can get many a ball
You never can get a new leg

Repeat Chorus

Barb Johnston (Bridge)

Oh, Barbara, it's so true.

The entire place was charming. I remember the folding wooden seats of the auditorium, and Lawrence Staib at the website was the first person to mention the huge murals on each side of the stage there.

I'm glad you remember such things as these and bring them back to status by sharing.

to pleasant times & memories,
-- Michael

Michael,

I meant to mention another thing I noticed when viewing your pix. When we attended Jenks, the auditorium doors were big heavy wooden ones with little panes of thick glass at the top. When Ginny and I visited some time ago, the doors were as in your pix and thought how sad, some of the charm was lost for me.

Barb

PS This is fun! I will write from time to time.

Michael,

My sister Ginny Johnstone Hammond passed your website on to me. I started JS Jenks in February of 1947, I think. They had the A/B system then. I gradated 8th grade in January of '56. If my memory serves me well, my teachers were Mrs. Paterson, Miss Berheimer, Miss. Vogel, Mrs. Newman, Miss Wholey, Miss Kelly, Miss (or was it Mrs.) Schuller, Miss Finley, and Miss Turney. The principal was Dr. McCauley and them Miss Jaeger.

I remember the girls playing jacks and then trading card on the steps of the auditorium. There was a certain hierarchy as to who could sit on the steps - never the lower grade kids, it was privilege for the older girls.

We lived on Duval Street and my brother worked at Wholey's Market on Germantown Avenue. It made Miss Wholey a special friend. We took the 23 trolley to school each day. We were envious of our friends who lived in Chestnut Hill who got to walk to school.

I wonder what happen to Betsy Reinholdt, Carolyn Goetz, Robert Scott (who was the envy of the class because he said he was born in a taxi on the way to the hospital), Joseph Navo, Arshaluce Bandadian, Carol Lamb, Judy Basmajian, and others?

So many memories, I could go on all night. Thanks for the memories. It reminds me that I must share with my children and grandchildren the way things were. I recently told a group of children at the church where I am Children's Director that I learned Psalm 100 and other Psalms at JS Jenks many years ago. How times have changed!

Keep in touch. Barbara Johnstone Bridge

Barbara, Thank you *so much for writing and it was a real joy to hear the new names you have added to the JSJenks 60's Era website. You know, I remember (now) a Mrs. Vogel, but as hard as I tried to recall everything I could think of, her name didn't come up until you submitted it. Thanks for sharing the name of some of your classmates, too. One was Judy Basmajian. It seems that I recall my sister Joanne who graduated in '64 mentioning that name as one of her classmates but I'm not sure. I *know I heard the name before and it would have had to been post '56. I'll have to take a look at that 1964 Graduating Class photo once again.

Also, it was a *big plus to learn that your Mother headed the Home and School Association at one time. Her first name would be a nice addition to her page on the website. You know something else that I find fantastic was the info about Wholey's Market. You know I was born in Germantown hospital and I grew up the entire time in our house on Magnolia St. But I simply don't remember Wholey's Market, so I could not have drawn the connection to Miss Wholey, whom I loved. She was a simply marvelous person. And as you know, she was most popular for being the teacher to take her class on the most school trips. What can you say? She is a treasure. So, I was glad to realize that she had a big family in the area.

I love the part you wrote about; "I remember the girls playing jacks and then trading card on the steps of the auditorium. There was a certain hierarchy as to who could sit on the steps - never the lower grade kids, it was privilege for the older girls." When I think of it now, there were so many cultural behavior patterns like this one that Jenks originated. Another (later on) was the practice of taking laps around the schoolyard together, which indicated a "going steady" status. Pretty nice.

Barbara, thanks so much for writing and I hope we talk often. I hope the website gets filled to the brim with the wonderful memories of Jenks School.

-- Michael

Hi all.

It was simply wonderful to receive a great letter full of memories from Barbara Johnstone. Barbara is the sister of Ginny Johnstone (Hammond). It is so wonderful to be able to learn of the times and the teachers and the students of the time just before I entered John Story Jenks Elementary School. The reason is, it gives so much better perspective of those I knew when I was there.

So, when I say "joyful memories" at our website, here, that's exactly what I mean. Thanks so much for sharing with us, Barbara and I sure hope to hear much more from you.