ST JOAN OF ARC MEMORIES FROM THE CLASS OF 1961

Thank you to Lynn Brandel, Ellen Fahey, Jack Krisor, John McGillen, Patricia Manelski, Lynda

Person, Sally Schulte and Mary Jane Sylvester for sharing these wonderful memories!

In the very beginning the school only went up to 6th grade and the Mercy nuns lived in the school. Later the Convent and Rectory were built as houses to be sold later as houses, and the Rectory was to be built on the land where the present parking lot is now. The plan was to build a Rectory that could connect to the Church. Father Galvin bought an old bus called the Green Hornet. It was always breaking down. He drove around and picked us up for school.

Walking back and forth to school every day with Lynn Brandel. All the letters my classmates had to write to me when I was in the hospital in 7th grade (and I still have them!). Walking to Timber Ridge (in the cold) for basketball practice because our school didn’t have a gym. Ice skating in Central Park and playing Crack the Whip. Remembering 8 years at St. Joan as magical - except the nuns were scary. The Sylvester’s home (currently owned by Dick & Meg Cagney) was the place to be! Great, fun gatherings. Because my brother, Philip and I (Mary Jane) were in the same class and when we both had friends over we had mixed company which the nuns discouraged strongly. We were always supervised by our mother – the nuns could not say anything. Sister Norella - watching everything, patrolling the halls, observing us with eyes in the back of her head. Creating posters for the Chicago Motor Club and getting in trouble for writing “I didn’t obey the red, said the dead.” Fifth Avenue candy bars from the candy box. Endlessly practicing “If you ever go across the sea to Ireland, then maybe at the closing of each day.” Fr. Dave being one of us. Meeting and playing in Central Park with classmates. Playing catch with Sister ?? and breaking her finger. The parodies we had to write and sing in front of our class. The fair and how I really wanted to win the Mercy Nun doll, but never did, so my mother asked a babysitter to make one for me. Sister Paulina was our 4th grade teacher and she said they often took the name of their father, so my Nun doll was Sister Georgina. Our class had an advantage being the first 1st grade class sharing a teacher and classroom with the second grade. We heard what Sister Amata was teaching the older class and I think something sunk into our heads by hearing it once when in first grade and again the following year. Also sharing the classroom gave us a little extra whispering time with friends while the nun was teaching the other class. In our 1st & 2nd grade classroom there were 21 first graders and 17 second graders. I am sure it felt like 60 kids to the poor teacher.

The second grade is in the first two rows plus the first person in Row 3. The rest of Row 3 and the two rows near window are the charter class first grade. Sister Amata and Father Galvin, the pastor, stand behind in front of lockers. The year on pic says 1954. Father Galvin was the relatively young pastor that year and I believe he died within a year after that – very shocking to all. Because we were in school during the early part of the Cold War, we would have drills to get under our desks or in the hall when the air raid siren sounded on Tuesday mornings. Also, we practiced what we would say if a Communist came into our classroom and asked us if we believed in God. In 3rd grade, I think many girls (myself included) got a red check in the conduct column of the report card for talking in the bathroom. That was not what you wanted front and center when you presented your report card to your parents for signature. When we entered 7th grade, St. Joan hired a new principal, Sister Agna. It was our turn to have a principal as a half-day teacher. She made us write parodies and sing them to the class, and believe me, it was NOT a night at the opera. We also had to make an invention and demonstrate it to the class. We had some very creative class members. Some of us loved recess and others didn't – the "creampuffs.” We would always offer to help the nun if the weather got below 20 degrees.

A favorite time of year was the school fair – the big fundraising project. So much fun for everyone. It was in the school basement for many years, but then moved outside with rides, etc. Also loved Bingo night. I lived on Lawndale for part of elementary school, so I would see the nuns walking in pairs up to Foster Street and then turning around to go back to the convent. We had many good teachers and some who were probably ready for a deserved retirement, but we appreciate the wonderful foundations they provided. Walking to school from our first house on Lyons and Harding. We had a path and used to have so much fun falling in the ditches in the snow and laughing so hard. Lots of new houses were being built then. We must have been very wet by the time we got to school. At one time, people didn’t like us using the path because we were on their property. (Lyons doesn't go all the way through.) Then because Church Street was so busy, for a short time we had to walk up to Foster and down Lawndale to school. Somehow, we were later allowed to walk through the path again. The rosary every day after lunch by Sister Leonella. Having to write 100 times what we said in the bathroom as we were not supposed to talk. Having checkers to collect homework. Demerits for some infractions on 8th grade trip to Springfield. Sitting in the back of the classroom between Jack Krisor and Steve Gassen (killed in battle in Vietnam) in 8th grade with Sister Sheila. She told me she wanted me there to control Steve and Jack, which, of course, I could not. I believe she really enjoyed the goings on and that we were her entertainment. Holy Communion and Confirmation with all the pomp and circumstance attached to those sacraments Getting report cards from Father Flynn in front of the entire class Keeping silent during lunch in the cafeteria Diagramming sentences every morning Playing Foursquare at recess Learning about the facts of life from Miss Sullivan in 7th grade Writing songs for our 8th grade graduation program Riding the school bus with Pam, Andrea, Margaret and Lynn A history bee that I won by knowing that Singer did not invent the sewing machine

Sister Sheila was our 8th grade teacher and was excellent. I also believe that she shook her rosary beads before coming back into the room to warn anyone who was misbehaving. Sister Sheila who made certain we were all well-prepared for high school Exercise 158 in 8th grade as a punishment - a lengthy LA assignment with many sentences to be diagrammed, and I believe we also had to parse the nouns and conjugate the verbs. Sitting on a bench in Central Park and talking to guy friends and being a patrol boy. We were lucky to have Central Park across the street. We all did so much there.... Little League, tennis courts, ice skating rink I believe in 6th grade, the 8th graders may have put on a play, but the part I remember was that some of the girls got to dress up in the habits of various orders of nuns. We really thought that was a privilege. I also remember if we girls sat with a boy on the train for the 8th grade trip to Springfield, or the if girls wore lipstick, we could not be in the running for being the May Crowner of Mary. We got to school early in May and October to say the rosary in Church before school. We did not have a gym when we were in school. It was finished when we were juniors in high school, and we had the first SJA sock hop. It was a huge success. I think we brought in more money from that that any event from the Men's or Women's club. So many parishes from the area came. At that time Loyola was for boys only and Regina was for girls only. Some also went to Evanston High School and some went to Niles North. We were very well prepared for high school. At time of our graduation Rev. Leo J. Flynn was our pastor, and Rev. J. McKenzie was the assistant. Later Rev. David J. Cortesi came as assistant pastor, and he helped us start the teen club and did all kinds of fun things with us, including a ski trip in high school where several got injured and went home in a limousine with him, and the others when home on the bus. The next time, he only took the boys and there was another broken ankle or leg! We did have fun as a class, well into high school, no matter what high school we attended.

A deluxe time in all of our lives.