School Days

For most kids, summer has ended, and they have returned to school. I remember my distress when the ads for "Back to School" sales began to pop up in August. Nooooo! There was the stress of a new teacher, and where your seat was, and would you remember your locker combination. But some aspects of the ritual were comforting, like the slightly institutional aroma of floor cleaner, the construction paper decorations on the walls, and of course, seeing some of your old friends again after several months. Today's vintage photos are school related, in case you hadn't guessed.

Here's one, undated but almost certainly from the 1950's. I admit that I am making a sort of educated guess here, but it looks like some young mothers are filling out forms in preparation for nursery school. Maybe. There's a small kitchen in the background (along with a man who must be the principal!) The table closest to us has some random camera equipment scattered about. But the main subject of this photo is the very glamorous and pretty woman in the center of the picture. She looks like a movie star!

This next one is also undated; it appears to be some sort of informal class picture. Some of the kid's faces seem to reveal a lot about their personalities. The kid with the green sweater (to the left) is looking less than thrilled to be there. The girl with the blue flowered dress seems confident and cheerful, while the girl with the pink skirt will probably be a teacher in another 15 years. And the boy in the black (dark blue?) t-shirt looks like he is cooking up something mischievous!