Tales from Corpus Christi

My first day at school was quite traumatic for me. For some reason I started after the other children so, when I arrived at Corpus Christi School, Mam and I were shown into the Headmaster’s study. Mr Walsh and Mam chatted for a while, and then we were taken through the school to my classroom. Mrs O’Connor was a well built lady and found me a place somewhere in the classroom and so my life at school began. She was a very strict teacher and I was very afraid when in her class, I was the sort of child that was always in trouble, mainly for talking! We moved up the next year to Mrs Crenin’s class, who was a perfect lady, sweet and gentle. The next classroom was at the back of the hall and was closed off by folding doors, I was soooo looking forward to going into this classroom but after two weeks I was moved up a class into Mrs Kelly’s class. I adored Miss Kelly, so much so that I didn’t want to leave her class. Another factor in not wanting to leave Mrs Kelly’s class was that I would move into Miss Tanner’s class. I did not like Miss Tanner and I was sure that she would not like me, she was a very strict teacher who shouted a lot and gave out punishments – well, that was the talk in the playground. Her class was on the stage, again with folding doors to divide it from the hall but this room came with a bad reputation, no-one wanted to be in her class.
So the new school year started and I with it. I sat at the back with a girl called Kathy, bit of a bully so I tried to avoid her in the playground and dinner hall but now I had to sit next to her!! Once classes started and we were all settled, she would pinch me so that when I called out ‘ouch!’ I got into trouble, she would pull my book when I was writing so that my pen went across the page, all sorts of things like that. I vividly remember one day when I had a scab on my knee, only a small one I hasten to add, and she told me to pick it, eventually I did and then had to use my handkerchief to stop the bleeding. She said to eat the scab or she would tell Miss Tanner I had picked the scab and made it bleed, so after much threatening I did this. She immediately put up her hand and told Miss Tanner I had eaten it!!! Boy! oh boy! was she not only disgusted but so mad ….. I was terrified ….. I thought she was going to hit me. Instead I was sent to sit outside Mr Walsh’s office and eventually he sent me back to class and nothing more was said. The Summer holidays couldn’t come quick enough for me.
Then next class was Mrs Grogan who was also considered a tyrant by all the playground but we got on quite well. I worked hard and she was ok, I thought she was a good teacher who was also very fair but didn’t like boys! Once or twice I had the ruler across my knuckles but that again was for talking and so I considered it fair. Her classes were interesting, I remember she read the story of Dr Dolittle although I must admit I can only remember there being a Pushme Pullyou and a bridge built by the monkeys!! I loved story time, couldn’t write ‘em but loved reading and listening to them. All too soon it was summer time again and then I went into Mrs O’Sullivan’s.
This was held in a classroom across the road from the school, so it was quite a jaunt in the mornings as we had to cross the road from the playground into the classroom.