Re: JFK

["Shelia N. Demetriadis" <sdemetri@pen.k12.va.us>]

According to Sandra P. Phillips:
>
> Hello everyone,  One of our 8th grade social studies teachers is planning
> a discussion next week about the assassination of John Kennedy.  As part
> of his unit, he has asked his students to ask their grandparents, older
> friends, or teachers what they remember about the day JFK died. (Their
> parents too, if they were old enough at that time to remember!) He would
> appreciate hearing from any of you or anyone in your school who remembers
> where they were on that day, what they were doing, etc.  Your messages
> will be shared with all our students in a special JFK display.  Thanks
> for your help.  sppp@strauss.udel.edu
>
> Sandra Phillips, Librarian
> Dover Air Force Base Middle School
> Hawthorne Drive
> Dover, DE 19901
>

Who Could Ever Forget?  I was a 10th grader in high school, and
we were just beginning our 7th period English class.  Our
habitually-late-to-class person (who constantly gave excuses
for her tardiness) came back from trying to get a tardy pass
from the main office and said she couldn't get one because
everyone in the office was in an uproar due to the fact the
President had just been shot and no one knew if he was dead or
alive.  The teacher, exasperated once more with this person's
excuse-making said, "Brenda, that is a terrible story to make
up to excuse not having a tardy pass."  Brenda allowed as how
it was not an excuse and the teacher replied that we'd find out
one way or the other soon enough.

A short (but seemingly interminable) time later, our Principal
came into the room and, tears streaming down his face told us
the President had indeed been shot and had died, and that we
would have an earlier than usual dismissal.  (Our
school was located in Massachusetts, and our Principal knew
President Kennedy, and probably his family, personally, so you
can imagine the emotional state he was in.)  He visited each
classroom personally to break the news to 1700-plus students.
 We all immediately broke down crying.  At dismissal, there was
weeping and wailing in the hallways and in the streets as we
walked away from the school.  It is an experience that I can
never erase, since it was an unthinkable to have the President
killed like that, and yet it happened, and we first got the
news from someone who was after something as commonplace as a
tardy pass.  Kind of bizarre in that respect.  Hope this is of
interest to those discussing Pres. Kennedy's assassination.
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Shelia N. Demetriadis, Library-Media Specialist
Mosby Middle School
1000 Mosby St., Richmond, Va.   23223
Phone:  780-8011     Fax: 780-5590    e-mail: sdemetri@pen.k12.va.us
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