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Elsmere Elementary School 1960-63
Fourth Grade
	The kids on Harrison Avenue north of Merlyn Drive got transferred from Hamagrael to Elsmere Elementary for 4th grade. Elsmere was actually closer than Hamagrael
I remember we were doing some kind of play on Christopher Columbus. My mother gave me one of my sister's short skirts and leotards to change into. I couldn't do it, there went my future in acting. (No one else dressed a part either) We had a art teacher, Mr. Lewis and a Music teacher Mr. Gerber who worked both Hamagrael and Elsmere (Maybe Delmar Elementary also). One day I inadvertently called Mr. Gerber dad and got laughed at by my fellow students. Mr. Gerber told me he had children but I wasn't one of them.
Fifth Grade
I remember Mr. Collin's smoked a pipe. For one science demonstration he put a glass on the steam radiator and another in a refrigerator. He blew smoke into the warm one and placed it upside down on top of the cold one, nothing happened. He then reversed them and the smoke rose from the lower glass to the upper one. (Warm air rises) Try doing that in today's smoke free environments, especially a classroom of young children.  Someone put a bugger on one of the encyclopedia volumes, I was blamed and ridiculed although I didn't do it. I had a habit of picking my nose and eating my buggers. I remember doing a pencil sketch that I though was good. Some girl  pissed me off by ridiculing it and I tore it up. I remember having to do A-bomb drills. In one you would have to get under your desk, in another we would go out in the hall away from windows and get on our knees with our heads down facing the wall. I remember the school nurse had a full human skeleton hanging in her office. (I believe it was real because plastic wasn't really big at the time)
Sixth Grade
We were told to bring a camera to school to take our own class pictures so I'm not among the boys.                                                                                                          Miss Luella Barnes
Of all my grade school teachers I treasure the memories of Miss Barnes the most. She lived a block from me on Elsmere Avenue and encouraged her students to stop by her home. Myself and several others would stop by and play a game she had which was called Sonar Sub Hunt. You looked through a periscope while your opponent tried to sink your sub. (Basically Battleship with a physical environment.) She also had an autoharp which some played. Being single without children she enjoyed our company in her home. Under Social Adjustment June 1963 "I shall miss Louis's quick response and friendly ways. I value his friendship highly and wish him continued success in the Junior High." touches my heart. She was a good woman who dedicated her life to the children.
A couple quick sketches by Mr. Lewis my art teacher at Hamagrael and Elsmere (My mother saved a lot of stuff)
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