Just over 40 years ago, a slightly precocious six-year-old arrived at St. Peter Lutheran School for her very first day of school.

Entering the two-room, country schoolhouse situated near the west end of tree-lined Church Road was not a novel experience. An older sister and brother had spent their elementary years at St. Peter before boarding the bright yellow bus that carried them off to Rodney B. Wilson High School - in the big city of St. Johns - and spending time on the church and school grounds for services and special events was part of the weekly routine.

So, the start of school was not a particularly spectacular event - more like spending time with an extended family away from your living room.

Somehow, I have a feeling that the same attitude prevails today for youngsters who began their educational careers last week at St. Peter.

It's nice to know that in a world of change, some elements remain reasonably constant.

Watching the busses traveling on country roads and students walking on city streets this week caused my own memories of starting school at St. Peter to bubble to the surface. Without a doubt, those years - 1958 to 1966 - produced some of the best experiences in my life.

Whenever I've heard the term "multi-grade" classroom used in recent weeks as a new approach to teaching children, I have to smile to myself. When you attend a two-room school, the instruction of different grade levels in the same setting is simply a fact of life.

We probably learned as much - or more - by listening to what the third and fourth graders were studying as we did from our own first-grade "Dick and Jane" books.

I'd like to believe that a return in some fashion to multi-grade instruction will produce equally positive results in today's classrooms.

It would be stretching the truth to say I recall exactly what that first year of school was like, but certain visions are clear.

• Molding objects from the red, brown, and green modeling clay was part of the daily routine. Art wasn't a separate curriculum - it was part of the classroom experience.
• That wonderful white paste, supposedly used for art projects - but which any little kid knows is really a yummy snack.
• Listening to the teacher (Miss Jergenson, I think) read stories to the entire room. Plenty of time to look at picture books - the start of a life-long journey to other places and times.
• Resting quietly with heads on folded arms on top of the ancient brown desktops - that contained initials and other inscriptions from students who had gone before.

Of course, studying wasn't really a top priority. Reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic was something that occurred between recesses - the real reason for school.

What fun we had during recess at St. Peter. Flying high on the swings, scooting down the slide, and taking turns at pushing and riding on the merry-go-round were primary sources of recess enjoyment during our early years.

It didn't take long for us 'little kids' to weasel our way onto the softball fields where we interfered with the big kids' games. "Go stand in the outfield - and stay out of the way," was pretty much the standard comment from anyone in the 'big room' - grades 5-8 - to the first through fourth graders from the 'little room.'

Speedball (sort of a country version of soccer) was another favorite recess past-time. Anyone who played quite literally took their life in their hands when they ventured onto that playing field. More than one little girl - and plenty of boys, too - were reduced to tears when a speeding ball smacked against a body part.

Somehow, we all survived.

I imagine similar games and experiences took place last week on the playgrounds and in the classrooms of schools across Clinton County. It would be wonderful if every student who walked through their own personal educational doorway has the opportunity to learn and grow as I did.