By: Ralph Mayo
September 2019
(I have told this story many times and to different audiences, but I never wrote it down until today, it reminds me of how lucky I have been to belong to such an amazing community for my entire life. I can’t believe the good fortune that I have experienced in the Greenwich Public Schools)
It has been over sixty-one years since I escaped from Kindergarten. It was a beautiful fall day and I was a bit restless during nap time, but let’s face it, I was restless most of the time! Our teacher was getting the milk ready for lunch and I didn’t think she would notice if I took a break and left the room. It was a beautiful room with a fireplace and a great deal of space for all of my classmates. I reached up from my mat and turned the gigantic brass door knob and off I went into the hallway. I walked out of Byram School and down the beautiful driveway to the Post Road. I stopped at the crossing and waited for the light and then swiftly moved into my neighborhood. There was no one chasing me as I walked up Chapel Street, on to Reynolds and then on to Arthur Street. I loved Arthur Street as I had lived there my entire life. I knew everyone on the road and my Grandparents lived next door to me. It doesn’t get any better.
I finally reached my home and rang the doorbell as my mother kept the house locked as tight as fortress. When she opened the door, a look came over her that I had never seen before – shock, anger, but that soon disappeared as she grabbed me by the wrist and walked me back to school. Once we arrived at Byram School we were ushered into the Principal’s office where I was spoken to about the dangers of leaving school and what would happen to me (Corporal Punishment was still legal in Connecticut) if I ever pulled a stunt like this again. The principal then told me that he was assigning me to Mrs. Armitage next year and that she would straighten me out. At the time I didn’t know what that meant but it didn’t sound good. I finished the rest of the year without incident and ran into the summer as I ran everywhere when I was in elementary school. My big brother found out that I had Mrs. Armitage for first grade and he made fun of me all summer. He told me that she was very strict and that if I made a mistake in her room, it would be my last one. He tortured me all summer so I was extremely nervous when I walked to school for my first day of First Grade.
First Grade was amazing! She held us to very high standards and made us work hard. She also made us be nice to one another and to never, ever leave anyone out or make someone feel bad about themselves. She got to know us extremely well and set us all up for success. She turned me into a reader, a voracious one who couldn’t wait to get to the next book or story. (To this day, I have at least five to six books on my nightstand.)
Mrs. Armitage was the best thing that ever happened to me and because of her I never wanted to walk out of school again because that was where all the books were kept and where everyone was nice to you! It still amazes me how much of an impact one teacher can have on a person’s life. It is no wonder that I am still walking the halls of a school sixty-one years later. It is my wish that everyone in our school district finds a Mrs. Armitage so they will discover a love learning and have their education personalized for them.
