Learning From South Phoenix


My Childhood Hood

           Golden grain swayed over the fields, appearing as the sea.  Cherry and apple orchards took up vacancy on the farming area in Spokane, Washington.  Born in 1974, I attended elementary school where my Mother had twenty years prior.  In parts of my past I didn’t like admitting going to Orchard Prairie School.  The land in the vicinity was bleak, dirt roads, the few neighbors gossiped about anything, unchained dogs chased passer-byers and the total number of students at Orchard Prairie was 40 (kindergarten thru sixth grade).  Though I’ve adopted a new perspective, how honored I am to have gone to school there.

            The original school was built in the late 1800’s, and later in the 1960’s a new schoolhouse was born.  Two rooms and a small lunchroom was all it contained.  Mrs. Bergman was the bus driver, nurse, recess monitor and secretary.  Miss Isherwood handled kindergarten thru second grade.  My favorite was after recess she would read to us as we would sprawl out all over the classroom floor.  Mr. McCarthy taught third grade thru sixth grade, he was a patient and gently kind.

            My mother dressed me up in pigtails, a plaid skirt and a Sesame Street lunch box.  Smiling, the big yellow bus took me away.  Freedom.  Arriving at the small school, we were marched off and sent into find our desk.  Three other students were in my row, later I would find out the four of us were the only ones in kindergarten.

            Recess, became my parent.  Learning independency, cruelty, joy and love.  My friends and I sledded; jump roped, played kickball, chased one another and let our imaginations free.  Twenty years later I visited the area, the school remains unchanged.

           

A map of Orchard Prairie School

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