Owing to the limited resolution of the web and the width of this blog, the group pics have been a little fuzzy. So for the following picture of the Mrs. Peebles Sixth Grade Loker School Class of 1979-1980, I provide the group shot and three details. Because we all want to be seen in detail as we were at age 12. I’ll leave out the names entirely from this one, to provide a game as well: Name Those Nerds:
DETAIL ONE – THE LEFT:
(OK, I’ll give away this much. I’m thrilled that my parents let my hair grow just long enough to show off what appear to be a tasteful pair of pearl earrings. Also, Levin’s hair remains perfect as always.)
DETAIL TWO: THE CENTER
(Again, it won’t be giving away too much to point out Amy Larsen in the middle row. What you probably don’t see is that Nancy Curtain is holding a gun in Larsen’s back. True story!)
DETAIL THREE: THE RIGHT:
(Why is Gayle smiling? Did someone not explain to her this was 6th grade?)
So good luck and good hunting all. Extra points if you can name the horrible, life-scarring nicknames given to each of the above.
Sparky = Sunjin Park
In the center…flanking Sarah Etelman…Herby Myers (R) and Andre Allesi (L)..two perfect candidates for random 86′ers.
I think I have a photo of Kerry making that same expression—from about ten years ago. Such attitude.
Does anyone know the details on class presidents? Junior High was a bit of a blur for me but Kerry was class president at one point, right?
And were there VPs? What exactly did either of these people do?
She’s giving an oddly come-hither look for a 12-year-old, isn’t she? And it’s obvious why the Veeps were there: in case the presidents were assassinated.
WOW, There are a few there that I am completely blank on..Herby? There was a kid in 6th grade with us named Herby???
I wonder if anyone can come up with a Mrs. Carlton 6th grade picture
Until then, this will have to do:
http://whs86.wordpress.com/2007/01/17/todays-archival-pic-joan-carlton/
Why is the name Kristen Somol popping into my head? Is that the girl in the red?
I remember that Peebles used to always cut out ads that said “Carlton is the lowest” and stick them in Ms Carlton’s office.
I also remember that Safran held that pose for 45 minutes after the picture was taken.
Shem: You’re half-right. I got up and left after the picture was taken. My hair stayed and held that pose for the better part of the hour, however.
I think scott ham kept that expression on his face for the next 6 years.
So, who was the primary target of all the hoodlums and ruffians in that class? Boy with a pearl earring? Vrablik? Toones? The never -again seen Herb and Andre?
Aha! I thought that was Vrablik next to ‘Moo’ Beltran! Safran, admit it, your hair stayed in that same pose ’til it was beaten out of you in junior high. But your life was spared, as the primary targets of hoodlums were anyone caught playing Dungeons and Dragons. The gangstas didn’t care how many ‘hit points’ you had, Nerds!
who is that to the left of Gregg Levin? He looks really familiar but I can’t come up with his name. Chicoski? Suddenly that name just popped in my head.
Yes, I believe that is Chicoski, even though I didn’t go to Loker, I recognized a few suspects.
I think it’s Billy Ricciardi. No? And yes, that is Kristin Somol in the red. She was the only other 86er to go to Wesleyan, (she was also my prom date) Actually one of the nicest, most decent people I have ever met. Don’t know where she is now, though.
That is definitely Bobby Chicoski standing between Gregg and Sun-jin. I don’t suppose anyone has the class picture for the Harron/Rosengard duo, do you?
Chris, Billy Riccardi was Da Thug of Claypit, don’t you remember? Tough little shit disturber–until he got sent to the principal’s office, which usually resulted in tears–Billy’s not the principal’s.
He also hung out with Kenny…Kenny…Hatfield! Who had a massive crush on Kim Mitchell.
Wow. Feels like deep regression therapy. Thank God the government’s paying for all the time I spend here.
Aaahhh yes. It’s all coming back to me now. Thanks a freakin’ LOT!
Also, I think I saw Zwonick tear up a few times.
K^VET: Andre was what passed for the Loker class bully. We thought he was badass. Until we met the Claypit kids.
oh my god! I am having nightmarish flashbacks..Rosengard, wasn’t she the teacher with the hairy legs? What was our 7th grade english teachers name? Skinny, glasses, and as I recall, a complete freak. Also, remember Ms. Anzivino? Well, she works in my doctors office. I see her now and then in the grocery store too
If I remember right, wasn’t that Bobby Chicoski a bit of a bully as well?
Muffy, that was Ms. Raub, eccentric extraordinaire… to put it kindly. She was the teacher who asked us to write an essay on how we would murder the teacher we hated most as gruesomely as possible and get away with it. She had…issues. I’m sure she thought it was a creative way to “engage the kids” but I thought it was creepy. Come to think of it she was the one who assigned the story “Two Bottles of Relish” in which the protagonist kills and eats his wife (I think) with relish then has to work off the energy by chopping wood, or something. Soooo, my mother (God bless her overprotective heart) called every other parent in the class and led them down to the Levinson’s office with pitchforks and torches. An alternative assignment suddenly appeared and Ms. Raub was “transferred” to library duty the next semester. Good times… good times.
(Yes, the computer is on the kitchen table so we always post at the same time…)
Ms. Rosengard was sixth grade and I remember this well because (mini-ode) she really encouraged my writing. She occasionally had stubbly legs, but no more often than the average single woman (I have since discovered).
I know who you’re talking about in jr. high, but I can’t remember her name either. I never had her but I remember looking at her cranberry or navy or hunter green stockings and thinking “Good try but… no.”
I have also since learned how irritating it is to shave all the effing time, especially in the winter when no one ever sees my legs. My feeling now is more “Eew, but you go, Ms…?” Anybody? What the heck was her name?
Who remembers poor Ms Stewart? She was pregnant and we were such jerks she ran crying from the class (poor thing). Second only to the spanish teacher we caused to have a nervous breakdown in 7th grade.
Now for 5th grade nightmares, two words, MRS FLANAGAN!!!!
Cheers to Bancroft for the shoutout to Marge Rosengard. You’re absolutely right. She encouraged great writing. That’s not to say she pandered – she knew when you were faking it and pushed you to better work. She was one of the few teachers I wanted to impress. Screw the mini-ode. She deserves a major ode.
I ran into Kristin Somol’s brother, Walter, last summer on the Cape. If I remember correctly, Kristin is a holistic doctor (?) or some sort living in Seatle…perhaps a cameo on Gray Anatomy in her future. I’ll leave it to Mr. Safran to come up with a witty McSomething reference (not that I watch Gray’s Anatomy or anything).
I think I’m going to regret this posting.
Mrs. Rosengard….GREAT teacher. Mrs. Flanagan….horrifying..how many of you have been glared up as you drove, the wrong way, up the road that connects Rt 20 to Old Conn Path (across from the Farmstand, next to where Luigi’s is today)? She used to live on that road and I’m fairly sure one of her goals in life was to terrify people driving up that road. Speaking of memorable teacher…how ’bout Mrs Birnstein?? I think I had her in 2nd grade, and to this day I still think of her everytime I begin to ask “could you pass the milk” in lieu of “would you pass the milk”.
Schuey: Life is full of regret, High School doubly so. And Somol is one of those people I would and should write a little tribute to. She was one of my Loker Faves.
I have to say, the only elementary school teacher that I could happily dismember is Mrs. Tarbox. What a battle axe.
I do remember when Flanagan was teaching 6th grade, and, at the conclusion of 5th grade, when we all got our teacher assignments for the following year, Nadine Williams opened up the Oscar envelope and screamed at Mr. Ericson: “You gave me FLANAGAN! How COULD you?!” and slammed out. Priceless.
OK, who’s got the photo of Schumacher to edit into a Gray’s Anatomy scene?
Mrs. Birnstein was at my mom’s retirement party and still looked the same age. She’s still scary though..
This website is amazing. Thanks to Steve Safron, or whoever is in charge. I went to Loker ’til 5th grade, at which point my neighborhood was re-zoned or something and I had to switch to Claypit. Soon after that, my family moved to Arizona, but I remember a bunch of kids from Loker, including Steve Safron (and his sister? Or some little girl who used to get on the bus at the same stop as he did), Flip Burr, Robert Chicowski (who ended up at Georgetown with me, though I saw him the first week, then never again), Craig Schneider, Tony Vaccarino (who was my friend until he began calling me “fag” for spending my recesses practicing backflips with the girls. We fought, and I kicked his 4th-grade ass, which ended our friendship. The kid was prescient, though; I’ll give him that), Sun Jin (whom we delightfully refered to as “Flat-Face” or “Pan-Face”), Mrs. Porter, Mr. Wiseman, Tommy Dretler (who was a grade below, I believe), Susan Rosenblatt, Courtney McCown (spell?)…Karen Pond and Kim Pond!
Holy Cow, Mark Poirier! Welcome home. Let me know how to get in touch with you and we’ll do a full-on interview. Email me at steviesaf (at) gmail (dot) com.
Been a long time. Great to hear from you.
(My sister’s name is Rebecca…)
Mark Poirier?! While nice to see your name pop up like this, I’m saddened to see that I left you scarred for saying something that I don’t recall ever actually saying. Sincere apologies. I didn’t know that I’d destroyed a friendship that day. However, you do stand corrected…you NEVER kicked my “fourth-grade ass.” Not a chance. LOL. Anyway, I do wish you well, Mark.
Maybe I reworked the facts to suit my psychological needs…Glad you’re still kicking, Tony.
P.S. Who is that Bad Ass in the tan shirt standing above Steve Safran? Is that Flip Burr? I swear, I think Flip Burr had pet chinchillas.
Mark P…good to see you wrote back! Where are you these days? Would love to reconnect. What’s the best way to reach you? From what I understand, you’re a writer (a successful one at that). Kudos to you for not only getting your screenplay off the ground, but also for getting it into production. That’s fantastic!! I, too, am a writer (advertising by day and my own screenplay by night). Continued success, Mark. (Sidenote: I have the craziest memory when it comes to certain things…and one thing I recall from our days as kids was the fact that you had two brothers from that very large family who shared the same B-Day. Is that accurate?)
one of the Best Elem Teachers ever was Maurah Stumpf she was A brand new Teacher at the Time at Claypit Hill its funny how you look back at things years later i learned so much from her and she had the right nack for teaching she really helped me through some tough times i will forever be gratefull to her she just retired a few years ago