Mifflin Elementary School Children

..... aka “Those Pearl Street Kids”

(Truth and Consequences re-visited)

Mifflin Elementary School on Pearl Street

Second grade was uneventful.  Third grade was memorable only because I could not believe a teacher could be so grumpy and take all the fun out of learning.  I just kept my head down and eventually got to fourth grade and Miss Valudes.  She was the kind of teacher we all dream about.  She made everything fun and made you feel your efforts were the best she had ever seen.  It was that way with all of her students.  She was also Greek, so it was exciting to meet someone who was different from everyone I knew.  I loved hearing about her life.

In fourth grade, I received the honor of becoming a member of the safety patrol.  We wore white belts with a sash and a badge!  The only thing better would have been a cape and a horse!  We were in charge of seeing children safely across the busy intersection when they came to school and when they left.  A special unit of the safety patrol was also put in charge of the intersection at noon when the morning Kindergarteners left and the afternoon Kindergarteners arrived.  We actually walked many blocks to school by ourselves back then, even the five year olds!  I became a member of this special unit and was I proud! 

One day one of my classmates asked if he could take my shift that day at noon, as he would not be there the next day when he was scheduled.  I switched days with him and went about my school day.  At approximately one o’clock I was called into the hall by the principal.  She asked me why I had abandoned my duty as safety patrol a noon.  There was only one student each day so that meant the intersection was not covered.  I explained that Jimmy had traded days with me and that he should have been there.  She said, “We’ll see about that” and left to get Jimmy. 

When she returned with him, I was not worried at all.  I believed he would clear everything up.   However, to my surprise he said we had not changed days; that I was lying.  I was shocked.  I reminded him of our discussion but he insisted it had never happened.  It became clear that the principal believed Jimmy and not me.  I could not understand why she thought I was lying.  Didn’t she know I could not lie?  I was stripped of my belt and my badge on the spot.  I was in shock.  I returned to class and Miss V asked me what had happened.  I told her and she left the room to talk to the principal.  She returned with a sad, and somehow angry look on her face.  She said there was nothing she could do.  I did not care, though, because the next thing she said took the sting out of the incident.  She said, “I believe you.  You would not lie about a thing like this.”  I also figured that Jimmy must have had a good reason for lying.  Maybe there was more than one “Mrs. Crazy.” 

Later that week I overheard my parents talking about the incident.  I could not hear exactly what they were saying, but I did hear the phrase “Pearl Street kids” a couple of times.  I had no idea what this meant until I entered fifth grade at a new school.

Me in 2nd Grade

3rd Grade (I think this is the only time the teacher smiled all year)

Fourth Grade

The house where I grew up on Ruby Street