Polaroids from 5th and 6th Grade – Old Ironsides and Nature’s Classroom

These pictures might make me feel old, but they also make me laugh. I will note here that for some reason (history’s sake or learning from my Dad), I labeled a lot of the Polaroids I took – even if it was with names of family members…

The picture of Adam, Mike, and “P.J.” makes me think of the morning that P.J. said, “Hi Chuck” to Mr. Fournier as he walked in the classroom one morning. To date, I don’t think I’ve had a more difficult time trying not to laugh. I knew I couldn’t look at Adam or Brian Caddigan without losing it, so I kept my eyes shut and bit on my lip. “Chuck” came back with a very authoritative, “What did you say????!!!!”, and told the rest of the class to leave while he reamed out P.J. Of course all the boys thought it was the funniest and coolest thing ever, and P.J. was hailed as a brave hero. I don’t remember much about Old Ironsides, but I will never forget that morning.

I love the look on Mike Fallon’s face in the Nature’s Classroom picture. Air Jordans on and staring the camera down like he’s trying to strike out a batter in the bottom of the 9^th. Mike Colangelo is proudly repping the Sox, while Chris Moulton looks like he’s sporting Brian Johnson specials. Dave Sullivan and Tufts are doing what they can to look cool simply because that’s what Daves do. You gotta love Pete Galea’s jeans-and-jean jacket-acceptable-in-the-80s look and Dave Noble’s brandless numbered t-shirt (I loved the red with blue #32 my brother Jon handed down to me). Also, I can’t tell if Dave Noble and Pete are blocking someone behind them? Ideas? I will say this about our year at Nature’s Classroom: What happened there certainly didn’t stay there, and they didn’t let the class behind us go.

Pictures from Fales (mid 1980s)

My guess is that these are from the 4^th or 5^th grade, but I really don’t know.

When I think of those days at Fales, these are some things is that come to mind:

• Playing kickball at recess, including when the 4^th grade team I was on beat the 5^th grade team (one of the moments in my life I wish I had on video)
• Being glad I was never the last kid picked for teams at recess (I wasn’t the first, either)
• Calling Mr. Fournier “Chuck”
• Getting busted misbehaving at an assembly by Mr. Gatley and getting “strikes” against me (he had fouls, penalties, and strikes, depending on the season, and if you ran out, he called home)
• Laughing so hard when I misread “Great Plains” as “Green Plains” that Mrs. Foley decided to take class outside for the rest of the period instead of finishing the lesson
• When Adam had the principal nearly freaking out because she thought he spilled a soda in the office (it was a fake spill practical joke can)
• Being one of a handful of 5^th graders who knew A) who Motley Crue was and B) when Vince Neil had his car accident that killed Hanoi Rocks drummer “Razzle”
• Missing the 4^th grade field trip to Sturbridge Village because I was sick that whole week
• The afternoon in 5^th grade when I started feeling “weird”, but all my friends thought I was kidding. I passed out, and woke up to the faces of my teacher, principal, and the school nurse (most likely a Crohn’s preview, I think)
• When Mrs. Graham asked me to carefully open the curtains, and I pulled them off the runners
• Doing The Wave in Mrs. Graham’s class
• Telling all of my teachers that there were two more McGraths to go after me
• Being the only McGrath to go to Fales K-5^th