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From Lorraine Maynard, June 12, 2007:
My sister,class of '61, once estimated that we
had been taught by 120-130 student teachers during our years at Milne. I learned what made a good teacher and what made a
bad teacher. In fact, ALL of us knew after one or two days if a new student teacher was going to be good or bad. I also learned
that my education was in my own hands, good teacher or bad teacher. I think that realization stood all Milnites in good stead
as we pursued our careers.
From Steve Levitas, June 13, 2007:
It's funny what you remember.
Richard Ludueña once told me a medical fact he had learned
from his father, who was a research MD--the location of the spot to test yourself for having acute appendicitis--about 2/3
of the way from your navel to the high point of your pelvic bone on the right side. Fast forward about 30 years.
At two in the afternoon one day at work, I got gas pains after lunch. They got worse and worse all day. At home,
I had no appetite for dinnner. I lay down on the floor in the bathroom, where my wife found me just after I had
remembered what Richard had told me and palpated the "spot."
"I'm sorry to make a mess of the
evening," I said, "but we have to go to the hospital right now." So thanks to Richard, I had a very early
self-diagnosis, and a prompt and simple surgery. I was in and out of the hospital in less than 48 hours, and back to
bike commuting to work three weeks later. Thank you, Richard.
From Brian Carey, June 15, 2007:
I just remembered about the big french trip we took to Montreal. I can only remember that the RULE was that
you had to speak only french for a half an hour and English for the other half hour. It was sure quiet for half
the trip!!
It's funny the things you recall. Steve's French name was Etienne and Bill's was Guillaume.
I don't even remember mine.
I really love that language but I didn't pursue much after school. I done
bone up a bit when my wife, Anne, and I went to France on two occassions. Just the usual stuff about some foods on the
menu, some directions to the Musee D'Orsay and of course how to find the bathroom. I was feeling pretty confident
about asking for un chambre pour ce soir. The owner of the chambre d'hote was silent for a moment and then
asked me if I was Italian! So much for that! I told her that we were Americans. She was ecstatic
and made us stay so she could speak to people in English.
I knew enough French to be extremely dangerous. In
one restaurant in the French boonies I couldn't figure out anything on the menu. After a half a bottle of wine
I asked the waitress if the meals were poisson or poulet or boeuf or chien. The waitress turned away without a
smile and then I finally realized that I had asked her if it was dog. The Ugly American had reared his head.
On
another subject I saw the post from Lorraine Maynard in regard to the number of teachers we
had at Milne. I went
to four elementary schools, kindergarten through sixth grade before I went to Milne. I was hoping for a more stable
atmosphere by going to only one school for six years. Well I accomplished that only to experience a barrage of
120 to 150 student teachers. As the maxim goes...be careful what you wish for.
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