Seventh and eighth grade hold a couple of treasured memories for me. In seventh grade social studies class, the father of one of the boys, Curtis Wilson, offered to take several of his son's classmates on a trip to Sarasota and the beach and come home by way of Highlands Hammock State Park. I only realized later that Miss Jessie chose those of us whose parents probably couldn't afford to take us on such a jaunt. Our payment for the good time at the beach was to write up the trip and give an oral report. The memory of that trip warms my heart to this very day.
In eighth grade English I was blessed to be assigned to Miss Jessie's sister-in-law, Mrs. Exie Cathcart. Mrs. Exie drilled us in declining nouns, conjugating verbs, and diagramming sentences. She gave us such a good foundation in English grammar that the professor in my college freshman English class often called on me to help clarify a point of grammar. Thankfully, I had just taken a refresher course at my Air Force base in Japan to get ready for college. I hope this article pays her the tribute she so richly deserves.
I had always been an A and B student at school (except in conduct) until my sophomore year. That year I learned I wasn't cut out for higher math and turned to ag-class for my final science. I also learned I wasn't cut out to be a farmer either—too much hard work and my citrus seeds failed to come up. However, in English lit class I shined. Miss Louise Southerland actually encouraged us to talk in class.
**********Part 5 Coming Soon**********
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