During the air raids of WWII we had to go under the tables at the edge of the room; collected tin foil and milk weed pods (The silk was used to make parachutes).

When Supervisor Mills came it was an “occasion” and we were all supposed to be on our best behavior. Mr. Mills was a large gentleman and was very intimidating to us little ones.

In cold weather Mrs. Conway would cook Campbell soup on top of the wood stove for lunch. When we had snow some students would bring sleds or pieces of cardboard to school and slide on a nearby hill.

During warm weather we always had one corn roast in a small grove of trees in the schoolyard.

I remember field trips to the Torrington Creamery and the Litchfield County Jail. Towards the end of the school year we always had a picnic at red hole. We’d play games, swim and walk across the rocks at the lower end where the water was not so deep. One year I almost drowned but was saved by George Mahoney, the eldest of the Mahoney boys.

At holidays the blackboard was decorated with colored chalk. We would sing and put on skits for our parents, followed by cookies or cake and a cup of vanilla ice cream from the Torrington Creamery no doubt.

Almost everyone walked to school. Sometimes we were driven by our parents or a kind neighbor. There was no buses. We also had no electricity, running water, indoor toilets or furnace. What we had was a wonderful elementary school education I wouldn’t trade for anything.