Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, May 23, 1995 TAG: 9505230081
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KATHLEEN WILSON
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
When I was asked to become an honorary second-grader, the school had no idea that this was something I'm an expert at.
See, I was in the second grade. Three times.
No, I didn't flunk spelling or chew gum or anything as exciting or radical as that. But when I was a second grader in a Catholic school in Pittsburgh, my father was transferred to work in the Netherlands and we lived there for two years.
While waiting for our house to be finished, we lived in a motel and I attended a Dutch public school where no one spoke English. When the house was finished, I went to another Dutch public school where only the principal spoke English.
So I was relieved that everyone spoke English when I attended second grade for the fourth time last week.
Fort Lewis - a Roanoke County school on West Main Street in Salem - is one of those few remaining schools that really looks like a school. A solid brick building that you would know was a school even if it didn't have a sign out front.
Inside Mrs. Catron's classroom, there were 25 very active kids. All wanting to know if their name would be in the newspaper.
So I asked them to tell me something newsworthy about themselves and each other.
Here goes:
Brittany Sharrocks, 7, is missing six front teeth and her brother, Samuel, recently bit her.
Emily Rose Cyrus' cat is going to have kittens and Emily has already been in the newspaper. ``I saw my back in a picture about fishing,'' she said quite proudly.
Brittani Surratt and the other Brittany found an old cash register - and a turtle - while foraging through the woods recently.
Stephanie Belcher's favorite lunch is the one her mother packs for her: a bologna and cheese sandwich.
Lindsey Elizabeth Moore and Carrie Elizabeth Moore are not related, even though they do have the same middle and last names.
Lindsey is getting her tonsils out soon.
Carrie is the smallest girl in the class and says when she plays with her brother she gets stepped on.
``And guess what?'' she asked. ``Yesterday I was riding my bike and I got sunburned.''
Dustin Craig's foot recently was run over by a car. Driven by his mother.
Justin McDaniel told me that I should put in the paper ``that there shouldn't be any more violence in the city or in the world.''
What does Justin want to be when he grows up?
``A Marine.''
Ellen Marie Thomsen told me to tell people to stop smoking.
Gordon Myers wants to be a fireman, a policeman and a baseball player when he grows up.
Michael Maxey will admit that he once told Mrs. Catron that ``she was a babe.'' He also has a cavity.
``The only thing I can tell you about me is that I am the most popular,'' Josh Taylor told me. ``It's true. I am. I don't know why, I just am.''
The entire class nodded in agreement with this.
Lisa Horne, who I swear looks like what Nancy Kerrigan must have looked like at 7, was very quiet and absolutely beautiful.
The class quite proudly told me she was the prettiest girl in the class. Lisa just blushed.
Benjamin Harris has decided he wants to be a district attorney when he grows up.
Robert Caldwell is going to be a policeman, and has the buzz cut blond hair to go with the job.
``Someday we're going to move and get some land and I'm going to get me a donkey,'' he told us.
Shane A. Moore started the second grade out as ``Shane,'' but decided to wind it up as ``Alex.''
Jenny Lewis won the spelling bee that day and was given a real trophy with a bee on top by principal, L. Gaye Sigmon.
Erin Sagester and Lisa Horne like to play in the hot tub, and when they turn on the jets, pretend they are in a soda can and someone is drinking them.
Peter Nero has the coolest hair and we all agreed that his name sounds like he should be an actor, although he seemed far more interested in the computer.
Caitlin Demarco and Christopher Bowles are eagerly awaiting the return of their Flat Stanleys.
Stanley is a cut-out character. Since he's flat, he can fit inside an envelope and go anywhere. As part of a class project, the students sent him to points all over the globe. Whoever receives him is supposed to send him back with something about where Stanley "visited."
Caitlin sent her Flat Stanley to Africa. Christopher sent his to Japan.
Arin Looney, Stephanie Wickline and Jamie Hall wrinkled up their faces when Mrs. Catron read the day's chapter from Judy Blume's ``Freckle Juice'' and came to the part where the main character had to take several spoonfuls of ``that pink stuff'' because of what he'd eaten and also had to take three baths that day.
You know, Josh may have cornered the market on charming second grade girls, but Dustin Craig sure charmed me on Friday.
``Are you a teen-ager?'' he asked. (God bless him.)
No.
``So what are you? 22? 23?'' he asked. (I love this kid.)
But the bubble burst and I was hurled back into the reality of being a grownup when the principal had a message for me:
``I think this is the first time I've ever had to say this to a second-grader,'' said Ms. Sigmon. ``But you have a flat tire.''
by CNB