It has been 8 years since I attended Pomperaug Elementary School and in 8 years, anything can change. With new principals, different teachers, and new policies, it seems much different than what I can remember. The kids I babysit ask me the question, "What was Pomperaug like when you went to school there?" Memories start rushing back but a few stand out....
1. "Meet me in front of the red slide"
This was a common term for us Pomperaug kids. If you were meeting by the red slide in the back of the playground then you know it meant business. Also, in the coming days, a wedding may take place at the red slide.
2. "PES is our school you see... It's where we learn and play...."
I am pretty sure any student that attended PES can recite this song like the back of their hand. The catchy tune was recited to us over and over again by our music teacher and has been engraved in our minds ever since.
3. "Are you in drum group?"
In fourth or fifth grade, it was pretty awesome to be in drum group. Waking up and getting to school early to meet was a piece of cake--especially since we just got to bang on instruments for 30 minutes.
4. "YESS.. it's brunch for lunch!"
Every child, no matter what elementary school, craved the day that brunch was served at lunch. It would be marked on the cafeteria calendar so that our parents could give us money for lunch that day. Oh.. and you can't forget the times where we had fried dough for lunch.
5. "Did you get a sticker under your tray?"
Everyone knew that when they received their tray of food it did not actually matter what was on it--as long as there was a sticker under your Styrofoam tray. Sticker= free ice cream.
6. "Did you sign the ICARE book?"
In 5th grade there was "thee book." If you got in trouble or forgot homework, you had to sign the ICARE book. Later on that month there would be an ICARE Party--aka the best Friday of the entire month.
7. "Are you on The Wall of Peace?"
This is often a question that I've received from kids who currently go to PES. They think it's really awesome that I was their age when my tile with an American flag was forever planted onto the wall across from the library.
8. "When is the book fair?!"
Let's be honest--who went to the book fair for actual books? It was all about the cool erasers.
9. "Is your dad coming in for lunch?"
If there was a parent coming in to eat lunch with their child, everyone knew that the lunch table would fill up in a heart beat. Why? Because the dad always paid for ice cream after lunch.
10. "Happy Birthday to YOUUU..."
There was nothing more enjoyable than listening to Mrs. Spencer sing Happy Birthday to someone during lunch. Secretly, you were hoping she would walk in on your birthday and grab the microphone.
