Clinton Valley

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I went to Clinton Valley Elementary School. It was roughly 4 miles from my house at 16 Mile and Groesbeck. I rode the bus every day along with the other kids. I had many great memories at this school. So much was learned during this 6 years of my life. One thing that is important to know is I was a HORRIBLE student in kindegarten and particularly first grade. I cried almost every day before school because I didn't want to go. I would throw tantrums that literally frustrated my mother to no end. When I was in Kindergarten, my parents went to the Bahamas with my Uncle Bert and Aunt Dawn, and they left my maternal grandmother Nana in Michigan to take care of us. I threw myself down on the sidewalk every day before school in a baby crying fit tantrum. Nana didn't know what to do. I think one of the days she let me stay home - but when mom called to check in, she made Nana make me go. My first grade teacher, Mrs. Seppela sat down and cried with me one day in exasperation. Many years later, when she passed away from a heart attack, I swear I blamed myself for taking years off her life. To know me today and how much I love to learn, you wouldn't believe I behaved this way, but I did. By the time second grade came around I had done a complete 180 - and you couldn't keep me away from school. I have no idea what triggered the change. I don't think mom ever figured it out. I was so good at cursive writing (something I don't even think they teach kids anymore), that my second grade teacher Mrs. Weaver made me help the kids who weren't picking it up. In third grade, I had a pregnant teacher, Mrs Diener, and then we had a substitute once she had her baby. Mrs Kingscott was one of our playground ladies during recess. She was a stocky woman - the kind of lady that reminded me of the "where's the beef?" commercials from the 80s for Wendy's. Her bark was worse than her bite. I'm sure many of you reading this remember her - she would blow your eardrums out when blowing the whistle to call you back in after going out for recess. Most of my close friends were Lisa Mitchell, Kara Ott, Kelley Kavanaugh (we used to watch the Banana Splitz after school) and of course all my friends from back at Charter Oaks, Fox Chase and Briarwood. I excelled at music, art and basically being a good kid (once I got over the crying thing). I have a few prominent lessons that I got during elementary school that stick close in my mind - and I'll outline those in the coming days of impacts.

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